Atiku Lacks Funds to Bribe ADC Delegates, Says Momodu

• Dele Momodu dismissed claims that Atiku Abubakar would deploy money to influence ADC presidential primary delegates
• He clarified that campaign funding in the party was meant for logistics and vote protection, not inducement
• Momodu argued that Atiku lacked access to state resources and could not deploy financial power like some political figures

Concerns over money politics at the African Democratic Congress presidential primary have been dismissed by party chieftain Bashorun Dele Momodu, who said former Vice President Atiku Abubakar lacks both the means and the incentive to bribe delegates.

Momodu, the publisher of Ovation Magazine, spoke during an appearance on Channels Television’s Morning Brief programme.

He responded to questions on how the ADC intends to manage the ambitions of leading figures as preparations for its presidential primary gather pace. According to him, fears about financial inducement are misplaced and misunderstand the realities of modern political campaigns.

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Campaign funds not delegate inducement

Momodu drew a clear line between legitimate campaign financing and bribery. He said money plays a necessary role in organising campaigns and safeguarding votes rather than buying support.

“It’s not just about money. When we talk about money, there are logistics. We’re not talking about bribing,” Momodu said.

He added that the presence of large sums in politics does not automatically translate to electoral success, citing recent global examples to support his argument.

“Even in America, Kamala Harris outperformed Donald Trump in terms of raising funds. She had over a billion dollars to spend. She still didn’t win,” he stated.

The ADC chieftain said such examples show that structure, credibility and voter confidence matter more than sheer spending power.

Money needed for election protection

Explaining further, Momodu said campaign resources are largely deployed to protect votes and ensure transparency during elections. He described the cost of coordinating agents and securing polling units nationwide as unavoidable.

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“You need, for example, on the day of the general elections, you need to make sure that you can manage every polling booth. Make sure nobody can rewrite your votes, nobody can steal your votes. That’s what we mean by money,” he said.

He argued that without adequate funding for these processes, even popular candidates risk losing mandates through malpractice.

Atiku lacks state resource leverage

Momodu also addressed speculation about Atiku’s financial influence within the ADC. He said the former vice president does not wield the kind of state-backed resources often associated with political dominance.

“Atiku is a business man. He has been a business man since he left power in 2007. He does not control any state in Nigeria,” he remarked.

“Asiwaju controls at least Lagos. I don’t know other states he controls personally, and he can do and undo. Wike controls Rivers,” he added.

He maintained that the ADC primary would be shaped by internal democracy rather than money, urging observers to judge the process by its outcome rather than assumptions.

Source: Legit.ng