A former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido has said that Atiku Abubakar would not have defeated Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State in the presidential primary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, if it was about spending money and buying delegates.
Appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday evening, Lamido was asked his opinion on the reportedly highly monetised primary.
The former Governor, who admitted that at one point or another money must have changed hands, however, insisted that it was not all about money.
He said that Atiku Abubakar, a former Vice President and also the party’s 2019 presidential candidate, would not have won the 2023 primary election had it been all about money, adding that it was prayers that led to his victory.
“At the end of the day, money isn’t everything…you see the convention of PDP on Sunday …although there are talks about money… money did not win [it].
“What prevailed was the will of the people of PDP to do the right thing. It was that will, that commitment for a better Nigeria not money.
“Money might have played a minor role, but the key issue on that day wasn’t money.
“Because there was no way Atiku would have won if it was all about money…it was the [wisdom] of the governors, the elders of the party [from both] north and South and prayers. We prayed and prayed and God guided us.”
Atiku emerged the Presidential candidate of the PDP for the 2023 general election after polling a total of 371 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State who garnered 237 votes.