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Between Jesu Oyingbo and Christian Martyrdom – Immanuel Olufunmilayo Odumosu (1915-1988)

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4 years ago

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By Hon Femi Kehinde

B’olode Oku Ode Ohu gbegi – meaning – “once the valiant celebrator dies, the empire becomes a thick forest;”-  is a very swift and apt metaphor, that describes the life, times and essence of the self professed Jesus Christ of Oyingbo, who came into prominence in 1952 and died in 1988. The empire eclipsed, almost soon thereafter.

Nigerians are by nature, people of great faith.

They still believe and could easily be vulnerable, to religious bigotry and indoctrination. No matter their level of education or sophistication, there is still the general belief, that there is the being or something that is responsible, for their existence in this world and which is deserving of their prayers, adoration and veneration.

Religion, being the opium of the masses, is certainly one of the most organised and most prosperous form of legal dishonesty.

Immanuel Odumosu latched on this and prospered.

Immanuel Olufunmilayo Odumosu was born in 1915, in Ijebu Ode to Jacob Odumosu.

His grandfather was Joseph Odumosu, a famous traditional healer and herbalist in Ijebu Ode.

Without the privilege of a formal education, Immanuel learnt carpentry and was self taught.

He served in the Post and Telegraph department (P & T) during World War II.

In the P&T, he was an active member in the workers Union and took an active part in the worker’s strike in 1945, which subsequently led to his disengagement from service.

He went back to his carpentry work and opened a workshop on Oil Mill Street, Lagos Island, Lagos.

Despite his dexterity in the carpentry business, he could not make ends meet and was constantly in debt and was at a time, jailed for six months, as a result of charges, brought by his creditors.

Life at this time was harrowing and unexciting. He needed an escape valve.

He attended various Pentecostal churches in Lagos for spiritual succour and comfort, but apparently, found none.

In the course of these spiritual adventures, Odumosu claimed he received visions and dreams from GOD, which he interpreted as messianic visions, that revealed he was a messiah that has come to redeem the world.

To him, this was a spiritual rebirth and he began to pronounce this, by holding evening meetings in his carpentry workshop.

He established the Universal College of Regeneration (UCR). His early sermons emphasised duality of the World and self discipline.

He saw a World that was in conflict, which he regarded as a conflict between the natural world and the Spiritual World.

He saw a natural world that was filled with evil machinations, principles and principalities and a spiritual world, which only him had access to, being the redeemer of the natural World.

In 1952 when he started this ministry, he denounced and detested alcohol, women and tobacco.

With a small congregation of about 30 members, he encouraged tithe giving, to assist the poor, the needy and the vulnerable in the Ministry.

He encouraged members, to fund his evangelical ministry.

In 1954, a wealthy member of his ministry, provided a property for Odumosu in Ebute Metta, close to Oyingbo market.

He encouraged his flock to relocate to Ebute Metta and live in rented properties, close to the church building.

He encouraged payment of tithe. As an emerging Ministry, he began preaching his sermons in loud speakers, placed outside in the church hall, at a location close to Oyingbo market.

Oyingbo market, established in the 1920s, was a great market of delight and prosperity.

When traders of the Apapa Road Market, in the 1930’s were relocated to swell the ranks of traders in Oyingbo, Oyingbo became a market of first destination to traders and one of the oldest and biggest markets in Lagos and Nigeria respectively.

Before Balogun market stole the show, Oyingbo Market, close to the Iddo Train station, was a beehive.

The fortunes and prominence of Oyingbo could easily be compared with the fortunes of the Ejinrin market, in the Epe-Ijebu division of the present Lagos state, Ejinrin, in the early 19th century, was the only point of contact between Lagos and other parts of the world as one of the major commercial centres for slave trade.

It was a destination hub, for transportation of slaves and commercial activities.

In Ejinrin, the Europeans constructed the second oldest sea port in Nigeria and also, the Colonial masters built in Ejinrin, the large market that had over 1,800 stalls, trading in cocoa, fabrics, fish, matches, wine, spirits and other consumables and export items.

Several multinational companies, like the UAC, John Holt, PZ, CFAO, Lever Brothers (Unilever Plc) had their first presence in Ejinrin.

Being a trading hub, Ejinrin had the first Post Office in Nigeria. It is this giant status of Ejinrin, that Oyingbo market, could be compared with in prominence, relevance and business activities.

It is this Oyingbo market that Immanuel Olufunmilayo Odumosu now shares proximity and attention.

The loud speakers from the Immanuel Odumosu’s Church, blows into the  market, which now gave him the sobriquet – Jesu Oyingbo

Ebenezer Obey a great Juju music composer, singer and philosophical artist, espoused the beauties and gains of the Oyingbo and Ejinrin markets in some of his lyrics.

He sang – “Oyingbo market is so big, that nobody will notice the absence of anybody.”

“Oja Oyingbo ko mo pe Eni kan owa o” ; and that in equal prominence, “b’oko kan o re Ejinrin;  egbe gberun e aa lo …”

“A lorry’s absence will never be noticed, in Oyigbo market!”

As a result of the market proximity, the membership of the Jesu Oyingbo Church – the Universal College of Regeneration (UCR) began to swell.

To initiate new male members, he would whip them with 9 strikes of the cane. Presumably, a cane inherited from his herbalist grandfather – Joseph Odumosu.

Then the bang came!

In 1959, he declared himself Jesus in Oyingbo and began to initiate various business enterprises, to form the new Jerusalem.

Among the ventures, were the Jolly markers and the happy day food canteen, deluxe bakeries, makers of good luck bread, barber shops, lodging and accommodation and etc.

In the 1959 declaration, he declared –

“I am He. I am Jesus Christ, the very one whose second coming was foretold in the New Testament. I have come and those who believe in me will have an everlasting life and joy. I am the missing of the trinity. I have come to prepare the faithful for the judgment day”

This Oyingbo declaration heralded the arrival of a new Jesus. Without the benefit of formal education or attendance of a theological school, this new Jesus, said the Bible had been planted in him, over night to evangelise the World.

To Immanuel Odumosu, his declaration as the second  Jesus, was as a result of a divine revelation, straight from the Chambers of Heaven.

His mission was to save people from their earthly worries, comfort and redeem them.

He established communal enclaves and asked his followers to forsake their families and pack into the New Jerusalem and live with him.

The members were not only his congregation but also, part of his work force in his various business enterprises- a printing outfit, a bakery, restaurant, bar, salons, a construction company, real estate development, Bush clearing and all sorts, from where he derived enormous income.

Aside from occasional gift, he also derived some fringe benefits, which he considered as his entitlement as their redeemer.

One of this fringe benefits, was the fact that he had unlimited access to any of the wives to the men in his flock and could choose to do with them whatever he pleased to satisfy his unquenchable libido.

There was an occasion, when he married a man’s wife, in order to punish him, for his errant behaviour.

On another occasion, he handed over the wife of an unruly member, to other men in the flock.

At his will, he could call any of the women who pleased him to satisfy his needs at anytime.

He married a large number of wives, ranging from between 30 and 80, three of whom were also rumoured to be his biological children.

The real number of his wives could not be determined because of his communal life style, because any member’s wife could easily be appropriated.

In 1959, he had about 7 wives and he said, when questioned about his polygamous nature –

“I have not finished with wives yet, I am going to marry more, to save the faithful, I must behave like one of themselves. I must marry more women for am I not the shephard and they the sheep?”

Jesu Oyingbo became enormously wealthy as a shephard in the vineyard, and moving from the background of a carpenter, to a Jesus, he became a phenomenon.

In 1961, some of his followers got disenchanted with him and disgraced him on the pages of a Sunday Newspaper as “a fake, a cheat and a humburg”.

The folks did not stop there, they further went to the Police with the complaint that Jesus Odumosu has refused to let them have their share of a €50, 000:00(Fifty Thousand pounds) worth business concern, they have been running with him for many years.

When the Police searched Jesus Odumosu’s house and those of his more intimate followers, the sum of €5,000 pounds was recovered.

To Jesus Odumosu, prophethood is a trade.

Whilst Odumosu was making waves in Lagos, in the then Western region of Nigeria, another Jesus had also emerged in Ikot Ekpene of  the Eastern region of Nigeria.

Nigerians are great lovers of panache. They like to dance, sing and parade in mortal ecstacy and belives so much in miracles and graven images.

Jesus Edidem Bassey, a former truck pusher, after proclaiming himself Jesus Christ was regarded as one of the richest men in the whole of the Eastern Region.

He had the most expensive building in Ikot Ekpene and he lived a life of stupendous luxury that could not be easily rivaled.

According to the Drum Magazine publication of July 1961, the life of this Jesus of Ikot Ekpene, was captured as follows- “He has a throne on which he is dragged through all the nooks and corners of Ikot Ekpene once a year.”

“He has male followers who obey his bidding without question. He is a God and can take any woman (provided she is one of his own flock) that he fancies. It does not matter that the woman may be married to one of his male followers. That he, a god, condescend to fancy his wife at all is accepted by any of his male followers as the greatest honour that a god can do to a mere mortal.”

The article further stated –

“The police have, until very recently, closes their eyes to the carrying-on of fake Messiah because none of their followers have ever come forward to complain of having been duped financially “

“Although we knew all along that they have been using religion to make money, we also know that they will continue to be in the clear until one of their followers defects and comes to us with a complaint.”

“Jesu Odumosu has been terribly shaken. Once one of the big ones is behind bars, without the heavens falling our guess is thst the lesser ones will disband and run for it”

“Until this happens, religion will continue to remain a cover for one of the most organised and prosperous forms of legal dishonesty in Nigeria. As long as the false prophets are protected from the police by the fanatical belief of their followers in them, religious confusion will continue.”

Perhaps, Wole Soyinka, the great writer, poet and author had the likes of these Jesues in mind, when he published his epic drama –

“The Trials of Brother Jero” – a light satirical comedy, that exposed religious hypocrisy, in the form of a charlatan or fraud, who preached to his followers on bar beach, in Lagos, Nigeria. He realised the mentality of his followers, in their search for money power and enhanced social status.

The drama was first produced in Mellamby Hall of the University of Ibadan in April 1960 and was eventually published in 1963 by the Oxford Press.

It exposed religious gullibility and credulity of one of his ardent followers-Chume, whom he had prophesied, would be promoted from Chief Messenger to Chief Clerk in the Civil Service and that a politician he had prayed for in the bar beach, would become a Minister of War in Nigeria.

He had also warned Chume not to beat his wife Amope, because unknown to Chume, Brother Jero had a secret relationship with Amope.

Fela Anikulapo Kuti, who also shared a Kuti blood with Wole Soyinka and whose mother – Grace Eniola, daughter of J.J Ransome Kuti was also of the Kuti family in Abeokuta. Fela, sang melodiously too, in his epic album-Suffering and Smiling.

“suffer suffer for World Amen, enjoy for heaven Amen…”

“Arch Bishop dey enjoy, Pope sef dey enjoy;”  lyrically, exposed religious hypocrisy and gullibility, in sweet and revolutionary melody.

Immanuel Olufunmilayo Odumosu, later relocated from his well known abode and place of worship centre in Oyingbo, to Maryland in Ikeja, Lagos but the name Jesu Oyingbo had stuck. In Maryland, he was still Jesu Oyingbo.

In Maryland, all the adherents of his religious faith, now lived a communal life in an enclave.

In the enclave in Maryland, were nursery, primary and secondary schools.

In the enclave with about 700 worshippers, he had more than enough workforce for his sprawling business.

On Immanuel Street, Maryland, Ikeja, where he now had his Universal College of Regeneration, (UCR) were various inscriptions on his numerous buildings.

“Merciful and mighty”, “Prince of peace,” “everlasting father” and some of the buildings were surrounded by statutes of the original Christ.

There were also Caterpillars, tractors and also, sculptures of lions and mermaids with water sprouting from their mouths.

He had a multifaceted religious approach, prophesying Christianity, Islamic religion and traditional worship; after all, his grandfather- Joseph Odumosu was a traditional herbalist.

He justifies these liberal attitudes to religion by emphasising the disparity between him and Jesus Christ.

He said while Jesus came to sacrifice and suffer “taking care of the cross-carrying and crucifixion, he, the second Jesus, “simply came to enjoy life”.

According to him, while addressing some newspaper reporters – “I have come to enjoy my life my friend”; and in enjoying this life, he amassed stupendous wealth, both in cash and in kind.

His sprawling estate in Maryland- 7a,7b, 9,10,11,13,14,15,17,Immanuel Street, Maryland, Lagos, 37 Aliyu Street, via Felicia Ayodeji Street, off Ikorodu Road Ketu, Lagos: 370/322; 624 Ikorodu Road, Mile 12 Lagos, really exposed his wealth.

Asides from other vast properties and funds left in his UK and Nigerian Bank Accounts, he was very prominent and very friendly with his neighbours in Maryland.

Most evenings, he would show them films, through his projector, local and foreign movies. His bread- Goodluck bread from his bakery, was heavily patronised, by the neighbours and even Reverend Fathers and sisters and nuns, from the nearby St. Agnes Catholic Church, Maryland, Ikeja.

It was generally believed that his goodluck bread brings goodluck.

Jesus of Oyingbo had prophesied that he would never die but unfortunately, the immortal Jesu Oyingbo was gripped by the cold hand of death on the 17th of January, 1988 at a private hospital in Lagos, where he passed on at the age or 73 years.

To his worshippers, it was unbelievable that their messiah could die. He died and the worshippers waited for him for three days to resurrect, and when he could not resurrect after three days, the empire began to crumble.

Naturally, his death exposed the vanity of human life and the scramble for and partition of his sprawling estate, began, like the Berlin conference of 1884- The scramble for and partition of Africa.

Wives began to fight against themselves, children against children and old members of the enclaves who believed they were equally entitled to the spoils of war, began a frenetic struggle.

There were series of litigations, in fighting, backbiting and acrimony.

The eldest child – Olukayode Odumosu, filed an action at the Lagos High Court, for eviction of residents of the spiritual enclave.

On the 18th of June, 2014, after a long probate battle, Justice Ronke Harrison of the Probate division of the Ikeja High Court ruled that “all 167 children are entitled to share in the vast estate as beneficiaries in equal proportion”. Jesu Oyigbo died intestate, i.e. without a will.

There were numerous wives, as much as about 80. The sprawling estate became hide out for urchins and criminals and tenants who were as much as about 2,000 refused to pay their rent. The empire, which some of his adherents believed would resurrect in 1998, 10 years after the demise of Jesu Oyingbo, failed to resurrect.

Because dust has returned to dust, the Jesu Oyingbo empire became a fast weed of thick forest, in the sprawling high brow Street of Immanuel, in Maryland, Ikeja-which justifies that popular Yoruba aphorism –

“Bolode Oku Ode ohu gbegi”.

Also, after the death of Jesu Oyingbo, the popular Yoruba song –

“Emi o mo jesu Oyingbo, emi o mo jesu agege, emi o mo Guru Maharaji, Jesu ti mo mo, l’ Apata Ayeraye” meaning –

“I don’t know Jesus of Oyingbo, I don’t know Jesus of Agege, I don’t know Guru Maharaji, the Jesus that I know, is the rock of ages” became a prominent sing song. Interestingly, the Jesu Oyingbo phenomenon is still very contemporary in our modern world in its tomfoolery and charlatanism.

Religion, certainly, is the opium of the masses!

May the gentle soul of the self acclaimed second Jesus Christ – Jesu Oyingbo – Immanuel Olufunmilayo Odumosu, continually find peaceful repose with the Lord.

Hon Femi Kehinde is a legal practitioner and former Member, House of Representatives, representing Ayedire/Iwo/Ola-Oluwa Federal Constituency of Osun State (1999-2003).

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Trump’s Envoy, Riley Moore: There’re over 600,000 Christians Languishing in Benue IDP Camps

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6 days ago

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December 13, 2025

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United States Congressman Riley Moore has alleged that more than 600,000 Christians are currently living in internally displaced persons’ camps across Benue State, following years of violent attacks that have forced communities from their homes.

In a post on X on Wednesday, Moore recounted testimonies he said were shared with him during a visit to several camps in the state.

The congressman said he met “dozens of Christians” who had survived deadly assaults and were now seeking refuge in makeshift shelters.

According to him, the displaced residents described “horrific violence” that wiped out families and emptied entire villages. Moore cited the account of a woman who, he said, “was forced to watch as they killed her husband and five children,” escaping with her unborn child.

Another woman, he added, told him her family “was murdered in front of her and her baby was ripped from her womb.”
He also referenced a survivor who claimed “his family was hacked to death in front of his eyes,” leaving him permanently injured.

Moore described the scale of displacement as alarming and accused “genocidal Fulani” of driving indigenous Christian communities from their ancestral lands. He said the situation demands heightened international attention.

“There are more than 600,000 Christians in IDP camps in Benue State alone.

“These Christians should be able to live in their ancestral homeland without fear of genocidal Fulani,” he said.

During his visit, Moore also met Tiv and Catholic leaders, including Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, Bishop Isaac Dugu, and Tiv traditional ruler, His Royal Highness James Ioruza. He said discussions centred on what he called an “ongoing genocidal campaign” in Benue.

The congressman noted that his trip to Nigeria included meetings with National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and other senior officials. He said the talks focused on terrorism in the North-East, the killings in the Middle Belt, and security priorities he shares with President Donald Trump.

Moore added that both sides reviewed possible steps to improve security cooperation, pointing to what he described as an already established joint Nigeria–US task force as a sign of progress. But he emphasised that “openness has to translate to concrete action,” insisting there is still significant work to be done.

Ribadu confirmed meeting the US delegation, noting that the discussions followed earlier engagements in Washington and covered counter-terrorism, regional stability, and efforts to strengthen the strategic partnership between both countries.

President Donald Trump had on November 30 redesignated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern over alleged religious freedom violations, while warning of possible US military intervention.

The Nigerian government has repeatedly rejected claims of systemic persecution of Christians, arguing that insecurity affects Nigerians of all faiths and ethnic groups.

Moore, meanwhile, commended recent security operations, including the rescue of more than 100 abducted Catholic schoolchildren, and said US concerns had been “positively received” in Abuja.

He maintained that the experiences shared by displaced communities “will not be ignored,” and vowed to brief the White House as ordered by President Trump.

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There’s No Govt in Nigeria, Tinubu is the Person in Power – Dele Momodu

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6 days ago

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December 13, 2025

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Media entrepreneur and former presidential aspirant, Chief Dele Momodu, in this interview by SAM NWAOKO, does a thorough examination of the Nigerian polity and comes to the conclusion that the country is on the cusp of a one-man rule.

Some people have said that the issue involving Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu and the governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke, was a convivial episode between two former colleagues in the Senate. Do you agree with this contention by some observers of the matter?

You know that spin doctors will spin anything no matter how unreasonable it is. Everybody, including Mrs Tinubu, acknowledged that what happened was wrong. Whether she now apologised or not, I am not aware, but she herself said it was a minor misstep and that we should not escalate it. So let us not debate what is not debatable.

When my favourite writer, Uncle Dare Babarinsa, said that the video of the incident in Ile-Ife was AI-generated on Facebook, I replied to him and said it was not. I gave them the original video that was shot by Ovation TV and said: “This is an original video that was shot by Ovation TV and not AI-generated, Sir. The governor was clearly disrupted and momentarily lost composure.”

The whole saga looks like it is not going away. What would you advise the First Lady to do at a time like this?

It is not going away because we are all prone to mistakes – nobody is perfect, I am not perfect, the First Lady is not perfect and when we are wrong either knowingly or unknowingly, we should just apologise. That is all. The thing would have gone down immediately. However, the thing is that her spin doctors are busy trying to window-dress the incident which is ordinarily a scandal because you embarrassed Governor Adeleke in his own state because you momentarily got him confused. If you look at the video, you will see that she disrupted him and the governor was momentarily confused. The governor was flustered because he was not expecting such an intrusion during his speech. Even if you were in a hurry to leave the palace and all that, you could have sent someone or just asked someone to write something on a small paper that ‘We are running late, please hurry up’. It is not that you will now stand up on your own. The First Lady stood up, and we saw her conversing with the Ooni of Ife before then, reporting that ‘I want to go and tell this man to stop singing’.

However, I know the reason she is angry, because she used to enjoy his singing and music when they used to dance together in Osogbo and all that. I have video evidence of that. She is angry because the governor refused to join the All Progressives Congress (APC). You know, APC has this entitlement syndrome afflicting it. APC believes that every governor should be in APC. The only thing that will give them joy and comfort is for every governor in Nigeria whether from the North, or from the East or from the West – wherever – should join APC. Then Tinubu can become an emperor in word and indeed. That is what they seek to do. They succeeded in Lagos and they wish to succeed at the national level. That is what is going on. Anybody who does not join them is considered an enemy.

Don’t you think that he has succeeded in doing that in many other places too because we only have one governor of PDP left in the South, so to say?

To me, this does not matter. Some people will choose to be voluntary slaves while some people will choose to act like freeborn. Everybody has a choice, that is what democracy is all about. Some people are coerced; some people are cajoled. When they get there, I hope they get whatever they are looking for.

Could this thinking be the reason Governor Ademola Adeleke did not go to APC but chose to go to Accord instead?

They tried to woo him into APC but he decided that he would rather leave his fate in the hand of God instead the hand of man. He didn’t get to where he is today by himself, it is God that made it possible. In his first attempt, he claimed that they stole his votes. He went away quietly. He didn’t destroy Nigeria, he didn’t destroy anything. He didn’t even fight Tinubu. He went away and he came back stronger. In fact, this Mrs. Tinubu incident has played to his favour because he has been trending since Sunday. Governor Adeleke has been trending because of this “little mishap” according to Mrs. Tinubu. And, can you imagine that it coincided with the time he was joining his new political party, Accord. Everything in life works perfectly once God has a hand in it. I see Governor Adeleke as a very lucky man and that is why he is always singing. He said nobody can stop him from singing and praising his God.

Now that the PDP has all its flanks broken, what would you advise the party as an observer, when you remember what it used to be in the Peoples Democratic Party?

I left the party much earlier because we already saw where it was headed. It is not the fault of the party, it is the fault of the fifth columnists within the party who sought to keep the party in ICU and hope to switch off the ICU machine and kill the party if it is no longer useful to them, or keep it alive in the ICU until the day they will need the party. So, what those people have been doing is to gradually kill the party on behalf of Tinubu, because it is Tinubu that has that kind of power. It is not people like Nyesome Wike that are wielding that kind of power.

From your thinking, you seem to agree with Nigerians who are of the opinion that the problem with PDP and the other opposition political parties is the handiwork of the government, Tinubu himself and his people?

There is no government in power. Tinubu is the person in power, no other person is in power. Tinubu does not share power with anybody. I had predicted in 2022 that if he gets power we have a potential dictator in our hands. This was in October 2022, I said it on a TV programme and it has come to pass. When I speak, people would react and abuse me but I don’t mind. My body is that of a porcupine, nothing worries me that much, I don’t even bother. I saw this because I was trained in Ife on how to conduct research and I am conversant with how to go about postulations, permutations and all that. I might not be able to use it effectively for myself to win elections because I don’t have the resources, but I can tell you what will happen in 2027 and give you different scenarios.

So that is what is going on right now. Tinubu is a one-man mafia and all the other people under him are afraid because of that. Paulo Freire, a Brazilian author, wrote “The Pedagogy of the Oppressed,” in which he contends that the oppressed man respects and loves only one man: his oppressor. So, it is a theory in political psychology. So, all the people you see rushing to Tinubu are doing so out of fear in advance. Tinubu does not even need to tell them that if you don’t join me something is going to happen to you because of the reputation of Tinubu as a one-man mafia. So nobody wants to cross the line and even dare to try. So, it is in the nature of the oppressed to be fearful in the presence or in front of the oppressor. The oppressor does not need to say anything, just his eye-look alone is enough to scare them, so they are all scared and you know that the average Nigerian does not joke with power, position and wealth.

So, this second term nonsense is as if, if you don’t have a second term, you will die. That is the attitude of an average politician. But Donald Trump was defeated by Joe Biden. He went away. Is he not back today? President John Mahama was defeated by Nana Akufo-Addo in Ghana. Is he not back today? So, I don’t know why people are so desperate. If Tinubu will not allow you to come back, for as long as you have life there is hope. You can go away and come back later.

So, the fear of a one-party Nigeria is real – the fear that Nigeria is drifting into a one-party state is not unfounded?

We are not drifting, we are there already. The situation in which the entire South-South has been captured by one man… and a lot of them who didn’t even need to go there are running into the APC. Look at Akwa Ibom State. Akwa Ibom has no business in APC, Akwa Ibom is a traditional PDP state. It can survive on its own, it does not even need the Federal Government. Akwa Ibom is so blessed with resources that every governor of the state has always been considered very important in Nigeria. But when you have a man who was brought in by PDP and he ran away from the PDP even by the second year… What is chasing him? And now he is saying that only APC people can get jobs in Akwa Ibom, it is unprecedented. History is awaiting all of us. Was it APC that worked for him to become governor? If he wanted to give everything to APC, then he should have waited for APC to vote him for a second term then he can transfer everything to APC. But for, what he is enjoying is from PDP, it is not from APC, so why are you now shutting out those who brought you to power? And he is a pastor, he knows that God will judge him. I know it is his democratic right to go wherever he chooses but he cannot use what you have gained from someone else to give to another person.

Look at my home state, Edo State. There, if you are not a member of APC, you are declared a persona non grata. That is not right. The governor is free to choose his friends and so on, at least there the APC brought him to power unlike Akwa Ibom, where PDP brought him to power and suddenly you want to kill PDP in your state. I think that is ungodly.

The contention out there is that you are for Atiku Abubakar and not for any political party, including the ADC. How true is this and can you throw light on this assumption sir?

I have always chosen candidates that I admire and believe can deliver. I am not one of those who would do otherwise because of some parochial considerations. I have been very fortunate because God brought me from different backgrounds, my father came from Edo State while my mother came from Osun State. So I am very detribalised and I am a full Nigerian. I fought the military alongside other people for Nigeria to remain one. So, I would not allow any politician to brainwash me into seeing any Nigerian as my enemy. This is a ploy by some politicians to use us, and use divide and rule to continue to dominate the country and dominate our life, I am not involved in it. If I like you, I like you. I see Atiku as a shining star and I saw it from 1993 when he stepped down for Chief Abiola at the SDP convention, I have always admired him since then in 1993, it is not because of today. To me, whether he becomes president or not is not the issue, if I wanted a president as my friend then I would have chosen Bola Tinubu because I am one million times closer to him than to Atiku. But I am a principled man, I have chosen to support Atiku. If you don’t like him, support your own candidate. I cannot force anybody to support Atiku. There are democratic traits which I see in him, he is a thorough democrat, a man who will never promote thuggery, a man who had been Vice President and delivered outstandingly and spectacularly. When he was the Vice President, he was able to assemble some of the brightest stars in Nigeria wherever they came from. He did not populate his office with Fulani or Hausa or any tribe in particular. A man who left governance in 2007 and till today he is successful as a businessman investing in education, in agriculture, in health and so on and so forth. If every politician has a job or a business like Atiku, we will not be where we are as a country today. An average Nigerian politician has no job, has no business, and has nothing doing other than to feed on the government. That is part of my admiration for Atiku. Atiku has been able to elevate and upgrade himself intellectually by going back to school as a student. He has been able to maintain and carry himself gracefully at his age. So, Atiku’s experience is not something that we can throw away and he is one of those people who have contributed to the growth and development of Nigeria. So, why should I not express my support for him if he chooses to run?

Is he going to run in 2027 or is he going to back a candidate?

Definitely, he will run if he gets the ticket of the party. If he doesn’t get the ticket of the party then he will have to join someone else and support the person. He has always been a very forthright person and he was the first person to bring Peter Obi on the national platform, but people forget that.

But the ADC seems to have been largely quiet. It might be strategic, but the party is seeing the onslaught on the PDP and has been quiet. What would you say has been happening in the ADC and what should Nigerians expect in the near future?

ADC has not been quiet. They are working from state to state. Even in Edo State where the governor did not expect any opposition, we have worked hard in Edo State and we are gaining ground. In Adamawa, and I saw how people from different walks of life are joining ADC. Recently, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar went to Jalingo to launch ADC with them there. So, we are working and I am sure a lot of people who are leaving PDP now to join APC, when they finally get frustrated by especially Tinubu, they will come over to ADC. ADC is the only national platform that is available and it offers Nigerians better and credible options.

So what would be your advice to Nigerians considering the changing political landscape of the country?

They must resist a one-party dictatorship in the country and they must resist Tinubu. Tinubu’s ambition to have Nigeria entirely to himself the same way he has Lagos should not be allowed. I assure Nigerians that if he is allowed to get away with it then we shall all end up in servitude.

But he is said to be managing the economy better, and that the security situation is improving under his administration. Don’t you see these?

When people love you they will love you blindly; that is what is happening with those saying that Tinubu is performing and that the economy has improved. The situation in Nigeria now is far worse. What we have seen are statistics; statistics that do not have effect on the people or reflect in their standard of living. We have removed the petroleum subsidy which has thrown most homes in Nigeria into the worst poverty, yet we are not seeing what they have done with the money and they said the economy is improving. They should come out and tell us what they are doing with the money. Now, we have incurred unprecedented debts globally and we are still acquiring more almost on a daily basis. What exactly are we doing with the money? So, those who are talking about the economy improving don’t know what they are saying, they are just talking for the sake of talking or because, maybe they hope they will also benefit from the largesse of the government.

Culled from The Trubune

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2027: Nigeria Sliding into ‘Fanatical Governance’, Momodu Blasts APC, Submissive Legislature and Weak Opposition

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December 12, 2025

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By Eagle Radio

Journalist and politician Aare Dele Momodu has raised alarm over what he calls Nigeria’s drift into “a fanatical, unrestrained form of governance” where oversight institutions have become subordinate to the executive.

Momodu made the remarks during an exclusive interview on Frontline, a current afairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM Ilese, Ijebu, on Wednesday, where he discussed national security, the wave of defections to the APC, internal party crises and the build-up to the 2027 elections.

Momodu reviewed recent political events including the Senate’s swift approval of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s request to deploy Nigerian troops to Benin Republic, the removal of police escorts from some VIPs, the widespread collapse of opposition structures and the ongoing tug-of-war within the PDP and Labour Party.
Momodu said the chamber’s unanimous and speedy approval of the president’s request did not surprise him, arguing that the National Assembly now operates as an extension of the presidency.

“There is no request President Bola Ahmed Tinubu sends to the National Assembly that they will not promptly approve. Even if it goes against national interest, they will approve it. Nigeria is virtually running a fanatical government the way we operate today. Checks and balances are gone. “I wasn’t expecting anything new from the Senate. They are not confrontational to a ruler. Some people are coerced, some cajoled, and some just cannot place the interests of the country above their own personal interests.”

He noted that while some Nigerians worry that the military is overstretched due to internal security operations, he disagrees.

“Our military is not overstretched. I’ve seen them in action in different countries from Liberia to Zimbabwe. We have some of the best officers on the continent. What is troubling is the politicisation of their work at home. That is the real danger.”

Gale of Defections: ‘Opposition is in the ICU’

Speaking on the wave of defections that has hit opposition parties, including the high-profile defection of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara to the APC, Momodu said the ruling party has strategically crippled rival platforms.

“I cannot blame all the people defecting. Some of them did not leave voluntarily. They were coerced. The ruling party made sure the PDP was crippled, tied down and kept in the ICU. The Labour Party is battling factions everywhere. The opposition has never been this weak.”

According to him, this systematic collapse is part of a grand strategy for the 2027 elections.

“The plan is simple: keep the opposition in a permanent coma. If the PDP or Labour tries to rise, another crisis will erupt. You can see the pattern.”

“I Am ADC Not Official Yet”

Momodu confirmed that although he has not completed his formal registration, he now aligns politically with the ADC.

“Yes, I am ADC. Not officially yet, but I am with the party. I still need to go to my village to register formally. But politically, that is where I am standing now.”

He explained that the current political reality makes the APC the most dominant platform heading into 2027.

ADC’s Internal Strength and Why He Believes APC Will Lose Members Soon

Responding to a caller who asked whether the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is facing internal crises similar to the PDP and Labour Party, Momodu disagreed.

ADC is growing stronger every day. Some of the most seasoned politicians in Nigeria are part of it. Once it becomes obvious that there are no more appointments in government, you will see politicians leaving the ruling party in droves.”

“The interest of the president now is all about him. We are frustrated because this is not the democracy we envisaged. Leaders are too focused on their image and position rather than serving the nation.”

He suggested that the defections into APC are largely transactional and may reverse as soon as people realise appointments are limited.

Insecurity: ‘Our Military Can End Banditry If Allowed to Work’

On Nigeria’s worsening security situation, Momodu insisted that political interests, not military weakness, hinder progress.

“The Nigerian military can end this insecurity in months if allowed. They know where the bandits are. We have videos of bandits riding on motorcycles in convoys. Why can’t they be stopped?”

He referenced Nigeria’s successful peacekeeping records abroad.

“In Liberia, our soldiers controlled 10 of the 15 regions under ECOMOG. They were called the backbone of the mission. How can the same military now be helpless at home? Something is wrong.”

“Everything is politically motivated. Our army can enter forests, flush out bandits, and achieve results in days or weeks. I’ve seen them operate in Sierra Leone and Liberia. The challenge at home is politics, not military weakness.”

He accused government officials of playing politics with national security.

Ambassadorial List, Global Perception and the President’s Legacy

On questions about President Tinubu’s international reputation, especially following debates over the ambassadorial list and restructuring of foreign missions, Momodu said he is not convinced the president prioritises global perception.

“I don’t know if the president cares about perception or legacy right now. The focus seems to be proving political strength, not building institutions. But the world is watching.”

He expressed concern that Nigeria’s diplomatic system is losing credibility due to political interference.

‘Politicians Have Abandoned Service for Personal Luxury’
Momodu criticised political elites for living extravagantly while ordinary citizens struggle.

“Politicians behave as if they are in a permanent entertainment state. Someone who had nothing yesterday suddenly flies jets and lives in luxury. People will naturally ask questions.”

He said Nigerians feel deeply betrayed by leaders who appear disconnected from the reality of poverty.

“People are bitter because leaders are not serving them. They lord over them. When citizens are hungry and insecure, leaders shouldn’t be gallivanting everywhere.”

‘Silence from Leaders Is Killing Democracy’
Momodu noted that prominent elders who once spoke boldly now remain silent due to fear or personal interest.

“During Obasanjo’s time, Yoruba leaders criticised him. They were not afraid to speak truth to power. Today, many people are too scared or too benefitted to say anything. That silence is dangerous.”

He warned that history will judge those who fail to speak up.

“Tomorrow will come. What will we say we stood for? This is not the democracy we fought for.”

A Call for Courage and National Renewal
Momodu urged citizens, elites and opposition politicians to find the courage to rebuild democratic values.

“Nigeria needs courage right now. Courage to criticise. Courage to correct. Courage to rebuild institutions. If we lose that courage, we will lose our democracy.”

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