Lere Olayinka, an aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed claims that the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, presidential candidate, Peter Obi does not give out money for political campaigns.
Olayinka recalled that Obi “dropped money” for party delegates in Ekiti State during the 2023 elections.
Featuring on AIT’s Democracy Today, the minister’s spokesman insisted that politics is business.
According to Olayinka: “As a politician or a business man, if your competitor wins what happens to you? If you are seeking a contract from somewhere and your competitor wins, what happens to you? You will lose out.
“Most of us Nigerians, politics is business and service. You can only serve when you get to power.
“You want to serve me, for instance, why do politicians spend money including the US? Don’t politicians spend money on campaigns? They spend money to seek election.
“I contested for the House of Representatives in 2023, in your party primaries, you give people money; so let’s not come on television and start deceiving ourselves and people.
“They said that the candidate of the NDC, Peter Obi does not give ‘shishi,’ it’s a lie. I was a delegate in Ekiti when he was in PDP before going to the Labour Party, he came to Ekiti and dropped money for delegates.”
