Headline

Ooni to Dele Momodu: Your Wish Will Be Manifested

Published

4 years ago

February 27, 2022

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, has declared that the desires of Aare Dele Momodu as regards his intentions for the 2023 presidential election, will be manifested. The Ooni, who is also the head of Obas in the entire Yoruba race, also said that he will use his throne to pray for Momodu for the realization of his heart desires.

The Ooni made these remarks when Momodu, who is a presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), paid him a courtesy call in his palace Saturday.

Speaking in Yoruba, the Ooni declared Momodu as a symbol of hard work and diligence, noting that emulating the aspirant will surely lead one to success at the end. He traced the trajectory of the chairman/CEO of the Ovation Media Group, whose brand keeps making waves across the globe, from his early childhood and as a child whose father left when he was only 13, saying that for any determined person, nothing shall be impossible.

The Oodua of the Source warned that nobody should look down on the veteran journalist, as he has conquered many terrains in life, adding that his courage and daring attitude can fetch him all he ever desire.

Consequently, the Ooni unleashed prayers from the bottom of his heart upon the celebrated Nigerian, who was accompanied on the journey by his wife, Yeye Aare Mobolaji Momodu and a host of associates drawn from across all walks of life.

“Nobody should underrate Dele Momodu cause he is destined to achieve what he has set his mind to achieve. I will pray for you with this throne,” Ooni said.

Earlier in his speech, Momodu has appreciated the Ooni for honouring him with his presence, tracing how as a typical Ife citizen with Edo blood, has lived all his life in Ife.

He narrated how he attended Local Authority Primary School in Ile-Ife, for his elementary education, before proceeding to Saint John’s Secondary School where he wrote his West African Examination Council (WAEC) exams, and then to the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, where he obtained a degree in Yoruba Language.

The reception was spiced by performances by palace dancers to honour the presidential aspirant.

Dele Momodu had in October 2021 declared his Intention to pitch tent with the PDP, and subsequently announced that he will be contesting the presidential seat in 2023.

Earlier in February, the aspirant undertook an audacious homecoming tour to his roots in Ihievbe, Owan East Local Government Area of Edo State, where he integrated with his people, receiving the anointing of his Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, in the quest for the presidency.

Aare Momodu has Kick-started the presidential sensitisation tour of Osun State with an emotional visitation to the gravesides of his mother, Mrs Gladys Arike Momodu in her Gbongan, Osun State, and father, Pa Jacob Momodu in Modakeke also in Osun State.

The celebrated journalist was received by a crowd of well wishers and villagers, who trooped out in their numbers to welcome the ‘son of the soil’.

On arrival at the separate gravesides, which were made more attractive, and adorned with modern marbles and decorations, brief services were conducted with Bible reading, hymns and short exhortation in addition to eulogies to the memory of the departed.

In his speech, Momodu reminded the gathering how his mother, who died in 2007, showed him the way of life through steadfast academic training.

We’ll Support You, Olufi of Gbongan Tells Momodu

The team thereafter, left for the Olufi of Gbongan’s palace, where he was given a royal welcome.

Addressing his majesty, Momodu reiterated that he was not interested in becoming a senator, Minister or any other position in the electoral or appointment process, but the president, which he said is meant for someone cerebral and with the interest of the nation at heart.

Dele Momodu said time has come for people like him to quit sitting on the fence, and take up the mandate to rescue the nation from imminent collapse.

Responding, the Olufi of Gbongan, His Royal Majesty, Oba Dr. Adetoyese Oyeniyi, Odugbemi 1, who spoke in Yoruba, pledged his support and that of his kingdom for Dele Momodu, and his presidential ambition.

“We will support you. You are our own and we believe in your abilities,” Olufi submitted.

Also present at the meeting was Chief Ezekiel Fatoye, who is Chief Momodu’s major benefactor.

The People of Modakeke Are Solidly Behind You – Oba of Modakeke

During his visit to the ancient city of Modakeke, Momodu was thronged by a crowd of supporters, including PDP stalwarts and members, who sang his praises, urging him on as the best the country can offer at the moment.

In his speech, the Ogunsua of Modakeke, Oba Moses Oladejo Oyediran, who hails from Ajombadi Compound in Modakeke, advised Momodu to always document his ambitions in a diary because they will all come to pass. He reiterated his support, and said the entire kingdom is solidly behind his ambition.

Dele Momodu is a Thoroughbred Nigerian – Prof Ogunbodede, OAU VC

The Vice Chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede, has said that Aare Momodu is a thoroughbred Nigerian, who has taken it upon himself to become a symbol of educational inspiration to the young ones.

Speaking when Momodu paid him a courtesy visit in the University premises, Ogunbodede said the university is proud to have Momodu as an alumnus of the institution, and prayed that every product of the university will occupy the best of positions in the country.

He said that periodically, the school has used Momodu as a case study to advise students as regards course of study, saying that anyone can be anything he wants to be, noting that having studied Yoruba Language, Momodu still became what God wanted him to be.

In her remarks, the Registrar of the institution, Prof Margaret Idowu Omosule reiterated the VC’s assertion as regards Momodu’s status as a veritable reference point in career guidance, saying the aspirant’s personality has helped the school in admonishing students for career choice.

The highlight of the visit was the decoration of Momodu as an alumnus, and presentations of gifts to him.

Headline

Israeli Ambassador Accuses Iran of Spreading Terror, Sponsoring Extremist Activities in Nigeria

Published

19 hours ago

March 6, 2026

Eric

Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, has accused Iran of sponsoring extremist activities in Nigeria and other parts of the world, alleging that Tehran supports groups aimed at destabilising countries while pursuing its hostility against Israel.

Freeman made the remarks on Friday while speaking during an interview on The Morning Show on Arise News.

The envoy claimed that Iran is the only country within the United Nations that openly expresses a desire to destroy another sovereign state, referring to repeated threats against Israel.

According to him, the Iranian government has, over several decades, supported militant groups and terror organisations around the world in pursuit of that objective.

Freeman alleged that Iran has backed groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, adding that Tehran was also behind the October 7 attack carried out by Hamas against Israel.

He further claimed that Iranian activities aimed at spreading instability have been observed across several regions, including Europe, Australia, and parts of Africa.

Speaking specifically about Nigeria, the Israeli ambassador alleged that the Islamic Movement of Nigeria receives backing from the Iranian government.

According to Freeman, statements of support from Iran’s leadership, including posts by Ali Khamenei on social media, have openly indicated such ties.

He said: “The issue here is about Iran. Iran is the only country in the world, in the United Nations, who expressly desires to wipe another country off the face of the earth. Iran has stated its very policy is to destroy Israel. Is to wipe Israel off the map is to make sure they kill every single person and no regime, no country that has an express desire to destroy Israel, and it’s not only an expressed desire.

“We’ve seen over 47 years, they’ve taken all the actions they can in order for that to happen. We’ve seen them sponsor terror organizations. They were behind October the seventh massacre of Hamas. We’ve seen them sponsoring Hezbollah. We’ve seen them acting in Europe. We’ve seen them acting in Australia. We’ve seen them acting in Nigeria.

“We’ve seen these people acting all across the world in order to spread disturbance for them to try and carry out their aim of destroying Israel, and Israel will not allow another country to have nuclear weapons when they’ve expressly stated they want those weapons to destroy Israel”.

“I think that it is well documented. We know that there are certain movements, for example, the Islamic movement of Nigeria is sponsored and is backed by the Iranian regime. This is not me saying this, we’ve seen that documented by the Iranian regime.

The Supreme Leader posted on X his support and his backing there. So that’s very open. And there are other areas as well that Iran is working for, destabilizing, not only Nigeria, but all of West Africa.”

Headline

Why Nigerians Must Reject INEC’s Revised Timetable – ADC

Published

7 days ago

February 28, 2026

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), during the week, released a fresh elections timetable, with major amendments to accommodate the just passed and signed Electoral Act 2026 by the National Assembly and President Bola Tinubu respectively.

Following the repeal of the Electoral Act, 2022 and the enactment of the Electoral Act, 2026, which introduced adjustments to statutory timelines governing pre-election and electoral activities, the Commission has reviewed and realigned the Schedule to ensure full compliance with the new legal framework.

Accordingly, the Commission has resolved as follows:

Presidential and National Assembly Elections will now hold on Saturday, 16th January 2027 as against the earlier stated February 20, 2027
Governorship and State Houses of Assembly Elections will now hold on Saturday, 6th February 2027 as against the former date of March 6, 2027

Also in accordance with the approved Schedule of Activities, the electoral bidy noted in the revised timetable that:

Conduct of Party Primaries, including resolution of disputes arising from primaries, will commence on 23rd April 2026 and end on 30th May 2026.

Presidential and National Assembly campaigns will commence on 19th August 2026.

Governorship and State Houses of Assembly campaigns will commence on 9th September 2026.

As provided by law, campaigns shall end 24 hours before Election Day. Political parties are strongly advised to adhere strictly to these timelines. The Commission will enforce compliance with the law.

But in a swift reaction, the opposition coalition, African Democratic Congress (ADC), rejected the revised 2026–2027 general election timetable, describing it as a politically biased schedule designed to favour the re-election agenda of President Bola Tinubu, and calling on all Nigerians to speak up enmasse to reject the revised timetable.

The ADC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, on Friday argued that the new deadlines and compliance requirements under the Electoral Act 2026 create near-impossible hurdles for opposition parties seeking to field candidates.

On February 13, INEC initially scheduled the 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections for February 20, 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections were fixed for March 6, 2027.

The timetable, however, faced objections from some Muslim stakeholders who noted that the dates coincided with the 2027 Ramadan period.

Following the concerns, the National Assembly amended Clause 28 of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, reducing the required election notice period from 360 to 300 days, allowing INEC to adjust the election dates.

Subsequently, INEC released a revised schedule on Thursday, signed by its Chairman, Joash Amupitan, moving the Presidential and National Assembly elections to January 16, 2027, and the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections to February 6, 2027.

Reacting, the ADC said the requirement that political parties submit a comprehensive digital membership register by April 2, 2026, effectively bars opposition parties from participating.

The party stated: “The African Democratic Congress rejects the updated 2026–2027 electoral timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission. What has been presented as a routine administrative schedule of the upcoming general elections is, in fact, a political instrument carefully structured to narrow democratic space and strengthen the incumbent administration ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“According to the timetable, party primaries are to be conducted between April 23 and May 30, 2026, just 55 to 92 days from today. However, more significant is that, pursuant to Section 77(4) of the Electoral Act 2026, political parties are required to submit their digital membership registers to INEC not later than April 2, 2026.

“That is only about 34 days away. Section 77(7) further provides that any party that fails to submit its membership register within the stipulated time shall not be eligible to field a candidate. These are not routine administrative rules but are deliberately constructed barriers designed to exclude the opposition from participating in the election.”

The party further noted that Section 77(2) of the Electoral Act 2026 requires the digital register of members to contain name, sex, date of birth, address, state, local government, ward, polling unit, National Identification Number (NIN) and photograph in both hard and soft copies, while Section 77(6) prohibits the use of any pre-existing register that does not contain the specified information. It warned that failure to meet these requirements would lead to disqualification.

The ADC questioned the fairness of the digital membership requirement, noting that the ruling All Progressives Congress began its registration process in February 2025, long before the requirement became mandatory.

“It is not a product of foresight but insider advantage. They knew what was coming. They therefore had one full year to carry out an exercise that other political parties are expected to complete in one month, during which they must collect, process, collate and transmit large volumes of digital data to INEC under the threat of exclusion. This is practically impossible.

“Democratic competition is based on a level playing field that does not give any contestant an undue advantage. A system where one party exploits incumbency to gain a one-year head start on a requirement that other parties only became aware of when it was nearly too late is a rigged system.”

The ADC said it has joined other opposition parties in rejecting the Electoral Act 2026, adding that the INEC timetable is equally rejected as it appears designed to serve what it described as a self-succession agenda.

“Let it be clear that ADC will not take any action that appears to confer legitimacy on a fraudulent system. We are reviewing our options and will make our position known in the coming days,” the party said.

The party also called on civil society organisations, democratic stakeholders and Nigerians to scrutinise the timetable and demand fairness, stressing that democracy cannot survive when electoral rules are structured to produce predetermined outcomes.

The party has consistently accused the Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) of scheming to silence the opposition as the 2027 General Elections draw closer, citing his manipulation of state governors and Assembly members from jumping ship, and settling with the ruling party.

Presently, the president’s party has a total of 31 out of 36 states governors, more than majority of the national and states Houses of Assembly.

A frontline publisher and chieftain of the ADC, Chief Dele Momodu, has warned that Tinubu is gradually transforming into full-blown dictatorship, stressing that his second term in office would turn state governors into ‘total slaves’.

Headline

Second Term for Tinubu Will Turn Governors into Total Slaves, Dele Momodu Warns

Published

7 days ago

February 28, 2026

Eric

Chairman, Ovation Media Group, and former presidential aspirant, Aare Dele Momodu, has expressed strong concern over what he described as growing political support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu among state governors across the country.

Speaking during an interview on News Central TV, Momodu said he was shocked by the level of backing the president is reportedly receiving, warning that Nigeria’s democracy could face serious risks if the current political trend continues.

The media entrepreneur cautioned that allowing Tinubu to secure a second term in 2027 could, in his view, lead to excessive concentration of power. He particularly criticized what he described as a growing wave of opposition figures aligning with the ruling All Progressives Congress> (APC).

Momodu referenced reports of opposition governors, including Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, allegedly moving closer to the ruling party, describing the development as politically troubling.

According to him, some governors are allegedly competing to demonstrate loyalty to the president ahead of future elections.

“The governors are fighting to ensure Tinubu wins a second term, fighting to be the biggest thug for him. If a man in his first term can capture the bodies and souls of Nigerians this way, imagine what he would do with a second term. It will be a full-blown dictatorship, and the governors will regret it as they become total slaves to him,” Momodu said.

He concluded by urging Nigerians to remain vigilant and actively protect democratic institutions, warning that unchecked consolidation of political power could threaten the nation’s democracy and future stability.

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