Veteran Nigerian comedian Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome, popularly known as Ali Baba, has shed light on the staggering financial costs of contesting political positions in Nigeria, stating that politics in the country has become a capital-intensive venture fueled by corruption.

Speaking during an interview on the Outside the Box podcast, Ali Baba, who is well-connected with many Nigerian politicians, revealed the estimated amounts aspirants are expected to spend to secure different political offices.

According to him, contesting for a Senate seat requires a budget of about N1.2 billion, while securing a seat in the House of Representatives may cost approximately N1 billion. For State House of Assembly, aspirants reportedly need at least N500 million.

He further broke down the estimated costs of governorship races, stating that candidates in Delta State may need to spend as much as N20 billion, while in Rivers State the cost could rise to N25 billion. For certain states in Northern Nigeria, Ali Baba estimated campaign expenses between N4 billion to N6 billion.

“It’s a capital-intensive project, which is what is driving the corruption in our country right now,” he said. “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.”