Dele Momodu, the publisher of Ovation International, has alleged that Nyesom Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), paid $30,000 to each delegate during the 2022 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primary.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Monday, Momodu, who contested the party’s presidential ticket, claimed a former Nigerian president had warned him not to bother participating in the primary because Wike had already financially dominated the process.
“A former president of Nigeria sent someone to tell me not to waste my money on the PDP 2022 primaries because Wike had raised the stakes to $30,000 per delegate. That’s $30K multiplied by 774 delegates,” Momodu stated.
Wike, then governor of Rivers State, lost the primary to Atiku Abubakar, a defeat he refused to accept. The fallout led to a bitter internal crisis in the PDP, with Wike and his allies distancing themselves from the party’s presidential campaign.
Wike would go on to align with the All Progressives Congress (APC), supporting Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who eventually emerged victorious in the 2023 general election.
Momodu has remained openly critical of Wike’s post-primary conduct, repeatedly accusing him of betraying the PDP. He also questioned the morality of elevating Wike to high national office, warning that his character and political behaviour pose a danger to Nigeria’s democratic values.
