Comedian, Ali Baba, has claimed that former President Olusegun Obasanjo shared strategies with him on how to win the presidency in Nigeria.
In an interview on Outside The Box, the 59-year-old entertainer said Obasanjo allegedly shared the strategies with him via chat because he thought he was venturing into politics and wanted to guide him.
According to Ali Baba, Obasanjo emphasized the importance of gaining support from key governors and strategic appointments.
The strategies allegedly shared by Obasanjo include securing support from seven key governors, including those from Lagos, Bayelsa, Delta, Rivers, Kano, and Kaduna, as well as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor.
“I was speaking with Obasanjo one time, and he listed some things that are necessary in politics,” the comedian said while picking up his phone to show proof that he documented his conversation with the former president.
“He thought I was going into politics, so he was happy I was talking to him about politics. He said ‘Ali, I’m happy you are catching up with politics, but you still have a lot to learn about how governors and presidents are selected’.
“He said ‘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 the numbers’…
“You need 44 of the most popular senatorial districts.”
The comedian also alleged that Obasanjo mentioned the key tasks to be accomplished in the first term to increase the chances of being re-elected.
“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.
“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 not’.”
Ali Baba also claimed that Obasanjo advised on making strategic appointments, including the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Controller-General of Customs, and Inspector-General of Police (IGP).
Other strategies allegedly shared include awarding contracts in the first year of office to impact polls, infiltrating opposition parties, and securing support from foreign countries, wealthy Nigerians, and religious leaders.
Ali Baba’s claims have sparked interest in the political landscape, with many Nigerians calling for more transparency in the country’s electoral process.
