Dele Momodu, the founder of Ovation magazine and a former presidential hopeful, has made serious claims about Nyesom Wike, who is now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). According to Momodu, Wike allegedly offered each delegate $30,000 during the 2022 presidential primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Both Momodu and Wike were among those competing in the PDP primary election, which was eventually won by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

During an appearance on Politics Today on Channels TV on Monday, July 7, Momodu said that a former Nigerian president had warned him not to join the race because money was playing a major role.

He explained, “A former president sent someone to tell me not to waste my time or money because Wike had pushed the price to $30,000 per delegate. That’s $30,000 times 774 delegates.”

Momodu accused Wike of not playing fairly in the party’s internal race. He said that Wike should have competed with honesty if he wasn’t going to support other candidates.

He also talked about how Wike has changed since becoming a minister under President Tinubu’s government. According to Momodu, power has affected Wike in a negative way.

He said, “When someone who once had nothing gets power, they often start to change slowly. Wike is an example of that.”

Momodu remembered that Wike rose to power under the guidance of Rotimi Amaechi, a former transportation minister. He added, “Wike used to only respect one person—Amaechi.”

Momodu also made personal claims about Wike’s lifestyle, accusing him of drinking heavily. He said that Wike once introduced him to a strong alcoholic drink called Akeshi.

“Wike is carried away by power. When power and money aren’t controlled, they become dangerous,” Momodu said. “He drinks early in the day. He introduced me to Akeshi, claiming it helps him work better. And this is someone holding public office.”