A heated interview on Arise TV has sparked fresh controversy over Nigeria’s preparations for the 2027 general elections after veteran politician and National Democratic Congress (NDC) chieftain Buba Galadima made explosive allegations of an alleged plan to financially induce opposition candidates to withdraw from the race.
Speaking with Charles Aniagolu during an Arise TV programme, Galadima claimed that political actors linked to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) were allegedly offering huge sums of money to opposition politicians in exchange for stepping down from their candidacies.
Galadima argued that, despite being roughly 100 days away from the election, the expected political atmosphere had yet to fully emerge.
>“We are only 100 days away from the general election yet the election fever has not yet caught the country at all,” Galadima said.
He alleged that politicians outside the APC were increasingly uncertain about their ability to contest, claiming that the ruling party was using its financial and political resources to weaken potential challengers.
Alleged ₦50 Million Offers to State Assembly Candidates
Galadima alleged that money was being distributed at a hotel in Asokoro, Abuja, by a woman he identified as being from Zamfara State.
According to him, members of State Houses of Assembly who agreed to withdraw their candidacies and allow APC candidates to contest unopposed were allegedly being offered ₦50 million each.
He further alleged that some members of the House of Representatives were being offered ₦200 million and a vehicle to withdraw from their respective races.
Galadima claimed that similar activities were allegedly taking place across several states, with particular attention being paid to opposition platforms, including the *NDC and ADC*.
He also claimed that security and Department of State Services (DSS) personnel were present around the hotel where the alleged meetings were taking place.
Aniagolu Challenges Galadima Over Evidence
Aniagolu immediately pressed Galadima to clarify whether he was alleging that opposition politicians were being deliberately encouraged to withdraw so that APC candidates could emerge unopposed.
When Galadima confirmed the allegation, Aniagolu carefully pointed out that he had no evidence at that moment to establish the claim.
The exchange became particularly tense as Galadima challenged the presenter to visit the location himself.
Aniagolu responded that he could not leave the programme while it was live.
Galadima then said he did not want to put Arise TV in trouble.
Aniagolu responded by making clear that the statements should be treated as allegations.
“Let’s see how we can approach it. You’re a member of the NDC,” Aniagolu said.
“Yes,” Galadima replied.
Galadima Claims NDC and ADC Are Primary Targets
Asked whether he was specifically alleging that members of the NDC and ADC were being targeted, Galadima responded:
“Most especially.”
When Aniagolu asked whether he knew anyone from the NDC who had actually been targeted and withdrawn from the race, Galadima said he knew people who had attended the alleged meetings.
He claimed that those individuals had reported back to the party and that video clips of some of the meetings existed.
Galadima went on to make even larger claims concerning the alleged amounts being offered to candidates for higher political offices.
According to him, a Senate candidate who agrees to withdraw could allegedly receive *₦500 million plus a vehicle, while a governorship candidate could allegedly receive *₦2 billion plus a vehicle**.
“When Did Politics Become Ariaria Market?”
Questioning the alleged scale of the financial induceme…
