Lere Olayinka alleges Peter Obi gave money to PDP delegates during his 2022 presidential bid, challenging claims that Obi does not spend money in politics.
Media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, Lere Olayinka, has challenged the perception that former Anambra State governor and 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, does not spend money while pursuing political ambitions.
Olayinka alleged that Obi gave money to delegates during his bid to secure the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2023 general election.
He made the claim on Friday, September 4, during an appearance on AIT’s Democracy Today, while discussing the place of money in Nigerian politics and responding to a question about whether politics should be regarded as a business, particularly in relation to Wike.
The former PDP presidential aspirant, Obi, later contested the 2023 presidential election under the platform of the Labour Party after leaving the PDP.
Olayinka argued during the programme that Nigerians should be more open about the financial realities surrounding political contests instead of creating the impression that politicians can seek elective office without spending money.
He noted that politics is essentially a means of serving the public, but politicians must first win elections and gain access to political power before they can implement their ideas and policies.
“One of the issues with most of us Nigerians, we like to pretend, politics is business. Don’t let us pretend. It’s a service but you can only serve when you get to power,” he said.
According to him, financial expenditure is a regular feature of political campaigns and party contests, not only in Nigeria but also in other democracies around the world.
Olayinka said candidates require resources to organise campaigns, mobilise supporters, travel to different locations, hold consultations and participate effectively in party activities.
He further drew from his personal experience as a politician, recalling that he contested for a seat in the House of Representatives during the 2023 election cycle.
He said his experience exposed him to the financial demands associated with seeking elective office, including the process of participating in party primaries.
“Why do politicians spend money? Will anybody tell me why politicians in this country, even outside Nigeria, in US, everywhere; don’t they spend money to campaign? They spend money to seek election,” Olayinka said.
The discussion later turned to Obi and the widely circulated narrative that the former Anambra governor does not engage in financial inducement during political activities.
Olayinka strongly rejected that perception, insisting that his own experience as a PDP delegate contradicted the claim.
“For instance, we have read that the candidate of NDC, Peter Obi, does not spend shishi. It’s a lie,” he said.
He explained that he was a delegate in Ekiti State when Obi was still a member of the PDP and was seeking the party’s presidential nomination ahead of the 2023 election.
According to Olayinka, Obi visited Ekiti during the period when he was consulting and mobilising support for his presidential ambition.
Olayinka claimed that money was made available to delegates during the visit and that he personally received a portion of the money.
“I was a delegate in Ekiti when he was in PDP before going to Labour Party. He came to Ekiti. He dropped money for delegates. From the money he dropped, they gave me my own in 2022,” he said.
The media aide, however, appeared to draw a distinction between saying that Obi spent money and suggesting that he was among the biggest spenders in the race.
He acknowledged that the amount allegedly distributed by Obi may have been smaller compared with what other aspirants gave delegates during the PDP presidential primary process.
“The money might be smaller than what other people gave, but he gave money,” Olayinka said.
His comments come against the backdrop of a long-running debate over the influence of money on Nigeria’s electoral system.
Financial considerations have frequently featured in discussions surrounding party primaries, delegate mobilisation and election campaigns. Political actors and observers have also continued to debate whether the country’s electoral process places too much emphasis on financial capacity rather than candidates’ programmes, competence and popularity.
Olayinka’s position was that denying the financial aspect of politics does not accurately reflect the realities faced by candidates seeking political office.
He suggested that candidates require money at different stages of the political process, including consultations with party members, campaign activities and mobilisation ahead of elections.
Obi’s political journey ahead of the 2023 presidential election saw him move from the PDP to the Labour Party after his initial attempt to secure the PDP presidential ticket.
His eventual candidacy under the Labour Party attracted considerable support, particularly among young Nigerians, and transformed the party into a major force during the 2023 presidential contest.
Obi finished third in the presidential election, according to the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), behind Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Atiku Abubakar of the PDP.
The former Anambra governor has remained active in national politics since the 2023 election.
As preparations for the 2027 presidential election gather momentum, Obi has moved to the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), which is expected to serve as the platform for his next presidential bid.
Olayinka’s remarks therefore come at a time when political parties and potential presidential contenders are beginning to position themselves ahead of another major electoral contest.
While his account was based on what he said he personally witnessed as a delegate in Ekiti, the allegation about the payment of delegates is attributed to Olayinka and does not, by itself, establish that Obi engaged in any unlawful conduct.
The central issue raised by the Wike aide was instead the broader question of money and political participation, as he argued that Nigerians should acknowledge the financial realities of electoral politics rather than portraying certain politicians as completely removed from the practice of spending money during political contests.
His comments are likely to fuel further debate over the role of money in party politics, especially as politicians and political parties begin preparations for the 2027 general elections.
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