ADC Primary: Why Atiku Lacks the 'Dollar Power' to Buy Delegates - Dele Momodu Explains
Afnews Editor
Jan 15, 2026
Dele Momodu reveals why Atiku Abubakar lacks the financial muscle to buy ADC delegates and how strategy will shape the party's presidential primary. Click to read full details.
https://youtu.be/Usz9vKt1l9g?si=f4pRksVv-5OLobGO
A leading chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chief Dele Momodu, has dismissed growing fears that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar would deploy massive cash to hijack the party's forthcoming presidential primary, insisting that Atiku neither controls state resources nor possesses the financial firepower to buy delegates.
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Momodu, publisher of Ovation Magazine, made this clarification on Thursday while appearing on Channels Television's Morning Brief, where he addressed concerns about how the ADC would manage the ambitions of heavyweight aspirants ahead of its crucial primary election.
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According to him, Nigerians often confuse campaign funding with bribery, stressing that money in politics is mostly for logistics, security, and election-day operations - not for buying delegates.
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"It's not just about money. When we talk about money, there are logistics. We're not talking about bribing,ÔÇØ Momodu stated.
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He explained that credible campaigns require enormous resources to safeguard votes, mobilize agents, and prevent rigging across polling units, rather than for corrupt inducement of party delegates.
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"On election day, you need to make sure that nobody can rewrite your votes, nobody can steal your votes. That's what we mean by money,ÔÇØ he said.
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Momodu further cited the 2024 United States presidential election to debunk the belief that the highest spender always wins.
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According to him, Vice President Kamala Harris raised far more money than Donald Trump, spending over a billion dollars, yet still lost the election.
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This, he said, proves that strategy, grassroots appeal, and political structure matter more than raw cash.
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"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,ÔÇØ Momodu noted.
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The ADC chieftain also dismissed claims that Atiku could deploy billions of dollars to influence delegates, explaining that unlike some power brokers, Atiku does not control any state treasury.
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"Atiku is a businessman. He has been a businessman since he left power in 2007. He does not control any state in Nigeria,ÔÇØ Momodu said.
He contrasted Atiku's situation with other political heavyweights who enjoy access to public funds through state structures.
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"Asiwaju controls at least Lagos... Wike controls Rivers,ÔÇØ he added.
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This, he argued, gives such figures enormous financial and political leverage that Atiku simply does not have.
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Momodu further revealed that Atiku's victory over Nyesom Wike in the 2022 PDP presidential primary was not achieved through cash but through superior political strategy.
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"That's why they used strategy to outsmart Wike. That's why Wike became inconsolable. Till today, Wike has not recovered because he was so sure that nobody could match him dollar for dollar,ÔÇØ he said.
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He stressed that Atiku's success came from careful planning, alliances, and political intelligence - not from splashing cash.
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— Afnews Editor