Veteran comedian Ali Baba has revealed the staggering costs of securing political offices in Nigeria, shedding light on the deep-rooted corruption in the country’s political system.
Speaking in a recent interview on the Outside the Box podcast, the comedian, who has close ties with Nigerian politicians, disclosed that aspiring senators must budget up to ₦1.2 billion to win a seat, while governorship candidates in some states require between ₦20 billion and ₦25 billion.
Ali Baba described Nigerian politics as a “capital-intensive project” that fuels widespread corruption, accusing political leaders of prioritizing money-making schemes over public welfare.
“To win the senatorial seat is now between ₦1.2 billion. You need ₦1 or 2 billion to win a Senate seat. To win a House of Reps seat, you need another ₦1 billion. State House of Assembly, you need ₦500 million. Governorship depends on the state. For Delta State, you need about ₦20 billion; for Rivers, you need ₦25 billion. For some of those states in the North, maybe ₦4 or ₦5 or ₦6 billion,” he revealed.
He further criticized politicians for neglecting critical sectors like education unless they see financial benefits that could aid their re-election.
“So it’s a capital-intensive project, which is what is driving the corruption in our country right now. So anytime somebody is in office, the person is not thinking of education, except if whatever he wants to do in education will provide some money that they can leverage on when the time for election comes,” he said.
Ali Baba’s revelations highlight the exorbitant financial barriers to political participation in Nigeria, raising concerns about accountability and governance. His comments have sparked fresh debates about campaign financing and the influence of money in Nigerian politics.
