I Have Given Up On Politicians, Can’t Compete With Their Dollars! – Dele Momodu (Video)

Nigerian journalist, businessman, and motivational speaker Dele Momodu has officially ruled out the possibility of running for president again in the upcoming election, citing the influence of powerful political forces and the overwhelming challenges of Nigeria’s political system.

The CEO and publisher of ‘Ovation International’ made these statements during an interview on “The KK Show – Key to Keys”, hosted by Confidence, where he shared his reflections on his previous political experiences and the realities of Nigerian politics.

When asked if he would consider running for president again, Momodu responded firmly, “No.” He went on to explain that his decision was largely influenced by his past experiences, stating, “Experience is the best teacher.” Momodu, who previously ran for the presidency in 2011 under the National Conscience Party, described the Nigerian political landscape as being controlled by powerful “principalities” that make it difficult for independent candidates to succeed.

“For me to consider running again, a major political party would need to adopt me, where there is a consensus of people who believe that Dele Momodu is best suited to change and lead Nigeria,” he explained. He emphasized that without such backing, he could not compete in the current system, which he believes is dominated by money and corruption.

The veteran publisher also opened up about the financial costs of running for president in Nigeria, sharing that in his previous bid, he spent 50 million naira on his presidential nomination form. “That 50 million would have bought me a property, and it was a waste. Nobody voted—not even one vote, because everything was monetized.” He further revealed that during the election, some candidates paid as much as $30,000 per delegate, with 774 delegates in total, making it impossible for him to compete.

“It’s not easy to compete with them,” Momodu lamented, referring to the level of corruption in Nigerian politics. “They’ve stolen the country blind and are doing all kinds of deals to make money, especially those in the oil-rich areas. The amount of money available to these people in raw cash is unimaginable. There is no country in the world where people control raw cash like Nigeria,” he added.

He also pointed out that much of this money is untraceable, as it is not kept in banks, which makes it even harder to challenge those in power. “If today you say to some politicians that, look, you need $500 million to become president, they will find it,” he said.

Momodu expressed a sense of resignation, revealing that his future in politics is no longer a priority for him. “So people are like, where will I start from? I’m not bothered. I’ve almost given up,” he admitted. “I’ll be 65 on my next birthday. I may look and feel young, but truth is, I’m an old man. My father died before he was 61. That scares me every day.”

The interview ended with a philosophical note from Momodu, as he reflected on the brevity of life and the futility of risking everything for politics. “Look, we’re all living on borrowed time. So why do we want to kill ourselves over politics?” he asked. “If the people of Nigeria need a good leader, they know.”

Dele Momodu, known for his role as a journalist and publisher of the celebrity magazine ‘Ovation International’, initially entered politics in 2011 with the Labour Party, before running under the National Conscience Party.

Despite his previous challenges, he made another attempt in 2022 by declaring his intention to run for president under the People’s Democratic Party. However, his recent statements suggest that, for now, he is stepping away from the political arena.

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