By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
Nigerian comedian, Atunyota Akpobome, popularly known as Alibaba, has shared details of a conversation he had with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, outlining what it takes to win a presidential election in Nigeria.
Speaking during an interview on the Outside the Box Podcast, which aired on YouTube on Saturday, Alibaba recalled a chat he had with the former leader, who assumed he was considering a political career.
In their exchange, Obasanjo reportedly offered a candid breakdown of the key political moves required to succeed in Nigeria’s complex electoral terrain.
“Ali, I’m happy you’re catching up with politics but you still have a lot to learn, like how you get governors and presidents elected,” Alibaba quoted Obasanjo as saying.
Alibaba disclosed that Obasanjo emphasised the need to secure the backing of specific governors to stand a viable chance in a presidential contest. He quoted the former president as stating, “You need seven governors to win an election: Lagos, Bayelsa, Delta, Rivers, Kano, Kaduna and the CBN governor. Then I said Kano and Kaduna don’t have money, he said that is for numbers, and what is money, that is numbers too.”
He went on to reveal more of the advice shared by Obasanjo, reading from the conversation they had. “You need 44 of the most popular senatorial districts. You need to have awarded 10 contracts and 15% of that contract can give you a marginal impact at the polls. And you must award this contract in your first year of assumption of office,” he said.
Alibaba continued, “Because if you don’t do that then, you can’t ask the people for anything because when you give them at the first year of your getting into office, when it’s time for elections you just tell them ‘Do you want to continue this contract or…?’”
He further revealed that Obasanjo placed great importance on strategic appointments, citing key positions such as the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the Inspector-General of Police, the Comptroller-General of Customs, the head of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, and the Central Bank Governor as essential roles to influence.
“You must suspend pending cases of corrupt past governors who are loaded,” Alibaba quoted Obasanjo, explaining that these individuals often control substantial financial resources which could be crucial during elections.
He elaborated, “Don’t forget that those guys have chests, war chests that they are just sitting and waiting for who they want to align with. No matter how much EFFC milks from them, they still have plenty.
“These are people who were sitting on a monthly federal allocation… like some states that when they get their federal allocation, they don’t touch it. They actually add to it because their state’s internally generated revenue is higher than what the federal gives to them.
“So if the federal government gives them N3, they can add N4 to it and spend N7. When they leave office, EFCC can’t come looking for them because they added money to what the federal government gave them, but you see that internally generated revenue that is their sweat as it is called, it is their money, they generated it themselves. They can determine anything they want to do with it.”
The former president’s advice also touched on foreign relations and grassroots influence. Alibaba quoted him as saying, “This is the meaty part of it, he says ‘Get US or China support because of their businesses in your country, they would support.
“Get National Association of Nigerian Students, market women, National Union of Road Transport Workers. Unsettle the organized labour. Get 10 of the richest Nigerians on your side.
“Infiltrate opposition parties and let them decamp before the election. Buy delegates one year before the congresses.”
Alibaba said he pressed further, asking how such delegate buying was done. Obasanjo allegedly replied, “You know who and who will be selected as delegates, you give two of his daughters jobs at the bank, you give this other person’s wife a shop, this person wants to go to hajj, they go to hajj.
“When the time for election comes and you say this is the person I’m supporting, because of these people who you gave given those things, they won’t mess up. While some people are raising money to give dollars and all those things, you already have bought their loyalty since.”
Obasanjo, he claimed, also recommended covert control of multiple political parties. “So when you hear two people are gunning for an office and you are not in the party, you call the other party and say you want to be chairman, we’ll fund you.
“Secure INEC and state REC, blogs and social media, religious leaders, royal fathers, the appointment of board of chairmen and DGs. He says to refer to No 2. Get four constitutional lawyers on retainership.”
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