Lere Olayinka, media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said Peter Obi also spends money in pursuit of elective office, contrary to the popular perception that the former Anambra State governor does not engage in financial inducement of politicians and delegates.

Olayinka made the claim on Friday during an appearance on AIT’s Democracy Today programme, while responding to the debate over whether politics should be regarded as a business, particularly in relation to Wike.

Recall that Arise Tv had yanked off Olayinka on live TV, on Thursday, for refusing to take questions from one of the Arise Tv anchors, Rufai Oseni.

According to him, politicians should be honest about the financial demands of seeking elective office, noting that candidates spend money on consultations, party primaries and campaigns.

Using Obi as an example, Olayinka said the narrative that the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate does not give money during political engagements was inaccurate.

“For instance, we have read that the candidate of NDC, Peter Obi, does not spend shishi. It’s a lie,” he said.

Olayinka claimed that he personally received money allegedly distributed by Obi to delegates in Ekiti when Obi was still a presidential aspirant under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“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 alleged.

He, however, noted that Obi’s alleged spending was comparatively lower than what some other presidential aspirants offered. “The money might be smaller than what other people gave, but he gave money,” Olayinka said.

The Wike aide also argued that spending money during elections was not peculiar to any individual politician, saying candidates in Nigeria and other countries invest heavily in electioneering.

Olayinka contested a House of Representatives seat in 2023 and said his own experience showed that financial expenditure was part of the political process, particularly during party primaries.

Obi contested the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the Labour Party after leaving the PDP, where he had previously sought the party’s presidential ticket.

Ahead of the 2027 presidential election, Obi has moved to the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), positioning himself for another presidential contest amid growing opposition efforts to challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

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