Professor Christopher Imumolen, the presidential candidate of the Accord Party, has poured cold water on the claims that only candidates with money bags have a chance to win this year’s presidential election.
Thirty-nine-year-old Imumolen, the youngest presidential candidate in the 2023 race, reacted to what Afe Babalola said about the role money will play in determining who will win the February 25 presidential election.
In a message to the nation on New Year’s Day, a prominent legal figure said that the most anticipated winner of the presidential polls will be someone with a lot of war money to terrorize, saying: “The 2023 presidential election will not be won by people who think he can make a difference. It won’t be the people of age, health, education, or patriotism. Instead, it will be the people who make money in this country, the people with the deepest pockets who will win the election.
But in response, while fielding a question on the Channels TV program, ‘Politics Today’, on Thursday night, Imumolen rejected Babalola’s claim, citing several examples to support his position on the issue.
“With all due respect, I am happy to disagree with our wisest elder statesman, Afe Babalola, on the assertion that the person with the deepest pockets in this year’s presidential race will win the election.
“There have been several incidents, especially since the advent of the Fourth Republic in 1999 where money has never been a determining factor in who becomes the president of Nigeria,” Imumolen said.
“Let us start with the 1999 presidential election between Chief Olusegun Obasanjo of PDP and Chief Olu Falae of AD.
“Obasanjo, if we recall, won the election despite having no money to spend. In fact, he had just returned from prison with no money or active politics before the election.
“Then came the successor of Umar Yar’Adua. Yar’Adua, we also know that he has finished his tenure as the governor of Katsina State and is not one who can be described as someone who can, just by the power of his wealth, win the presidency of the state.
“In fact, we have more people in the race who can beat him as the only person who is president. But in the end, he won.
“Don’t think he’s saying that the system that brought him to power is flawed. The truth is that he won.
“Again, let’s look at the current president, Muhammadu Buhari. We all know that the one with the most money to spend is Dr. Goodluck Jonathan who is the current president.
“However, against all odds, Buhari stormed to victory and he will only complete his eighth term as president of Nigeria.
“So, this example tells us that it is not always the person with the deepest pockets who always becomes the president of Nigeria.
“In this year’s presidential race, I think the original desire of the people to see a change from the old way of doing things to something new can prove to be a decisive factor, instead of the current outdated way of trying to buy people’s conscience through prodigal spending. It may not produce any results. -is it because our people who used to be wiser,” he said.