“I May Be Wrong,” Says Buba Galadima After Explosive APC Claims

Nigeria Politics | Arise TV Interview

Note: These are unverified allegations made in an interview. Sojworldnews has not confirmed them.

Buba Galadima, a stalwart of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of paying opposition candidates to quit the race. He made the claim during an interview on Arise TV. Notably, the general election is only 100 days away. However, he offered no documents, and the host said so on air.

Galadima is a well-known opposition voice, and he often criticises the government on television. As a result, his claims draw attention, yet they also draw scrutiny. He has voiced similar warnings before. Therefore, viewers should weigh his words against the evidence he can actually show.

He opened by saying election fever has not gripped the country. Instead, he said, politicians outside the ruling party feel anxious. In his view, no opposition candidate is truly “sure of contesting this election.” Therefore, he argued, the APC is using every tool it has, “good and bad.”

Then he told a story. According to Galadima, a woman from Zamfara State is handing out cash at a hotel in Asokoro, Abuja. He said security personnel and other officials fill the hotel. Moreover, he claimed she met the APC chairman, Professor Nentawe, three or four days ago. At that meeting, he said, she presented candidates who had stepped aside. “They wrote resignation and they collected money,” he said.

Galadima then listed what he called the going rates. First, he claimed that members of a state House of Assembly receive ₦50 million to withdraw. Next, he said House of Representatives members get ₦200 million and a car. Senate contestants, he added, receive ₦500 million or more. Finally, he said governorship aspirants who withdraw collect ₦2 billion or more. Several people have already taken the money, he claimed, and payments continue from state to state.

The host pressed him on these claims. For example, he asked whether Galadima knew anyone from the NDC who had stepped aside. Galadima said he knew people who attended the meeting. He also said clips of that meeting exist. However, the transcript shows no clip was shown. In addition, he said the NDC and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) are the main targets.

The host stayed cautious throughout. He reminded viewers several times that Galadima was making allegations. He also stressed that the station has “absolutely no evidence to corroborate the allegations.” Galadima accepted the challenge. He urged investigative journalists to test his claims. “I may be wrong,” he admitted.

Galadima also accused the government of blocking opposition campaigns. He claimed that opposition figures face stones wherever they go. In addition, he said the APC wants to make life impossible for its rivals. The host said he had heard similar reports. For instance, some states reportedly require visitors to seek permission before they en
ter. As a result, Galadima questioned whether Nigeria still practises democracy. “We can just as well call it fascism or dictatorship or monarchy,” he said.

He went further and targeted President Bola Tinubu and the governors. Galadima claimed they fear a real contest. Therefore, he said, they want to “win unopposed.” He tied this to the huge sums of money the APC has gathered to buy people. Still, he presented no figures or documents to support that claim.

Nobody can verify these allegations from the transcript alone. Moreover, the APC did not respond during the interview. Because the claims are serious, readers should treat them with care. If true, the payments would raise grave legal and democratic questions. Until evidence appears, however, they remain claims.

Sojworldnews will follow the story. We also invite the APC and the other parties named to respond. Meanwhile, check back for updates as the campaign unfolds.