By Eric Elezuo
A former presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Chairman, Ovation Media Group, Aare Dele Momodu, has explained what transpired between him and Mrs Oluremi Tinubu, the wife of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, during their brief meeting at Archbishop Vining Memorial Church, Ikeja, where a funeral service was held in honour of late APC stalwart, Chief Kemi Nelson.
Taking to his verified Instagram handle, Momodu noted that it was imperative to explain the meeting as only two persons in the congregation: Senator Tokunboh Abiru and Dr Tunji Olowolafe, and some photographers were privy to the meeting before naysayers misconstrue events.
He noted that much as Mrs Tinubu expressed her desire to see him campaign for her husband, who represents APC, he is bent as a party man, to support the PDP and it’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. He made it clear to her.
Momodu also reiterated his choice of PDP, stressing that the APC, which he supported to gain access to power in 2015, has gone astray, and ‘led Nigeria to Golgotha’. He however, added that his love for Tinubu and all other APC members remain intact as they all have come a long way.
Below is Momodu’s detailed statement:
Only two people, apart from the photographers, witnessed what happened between me and SENATOR MRS OLUREMI TINUBU yesterday (Thursday), at the funeral service of CHIEF MRS KEMI NELSON, at Archbishop Vining Memorial Church in Ikeja, Lagos. Before some people add salt and pepper to it, I need to state precisely what happened…
SENATOR TOKUNBO ABIRU and DR TUNJI OLOWOLAFE and I had walked in about the same time and we went to greet my very dear Sister, SENATOR MRS OLUREMI TINUBU… Immediately she saw me, we exchanged our usual pleasantries and then she asked me “so Bob Dee, you’re not going to campaign for my husband…” I smiled and remained very calm before replying: “Your Excellency, I’m in PDP…” She apparently didn’t find it funny and regaled us with the past I shared with her husband and I tried to calm her down… Anyway, I went back to my seat and pondered on what just happened and I soliloquised: “Before the PDP Primary, I had been asked repeatedly by journalists if I’ll dump PDP if I don’t get the ticket, my answer was NO. So if I had gotten the PDP ticket, would I step down for TINUBU of APC, the answer is NO…”
I joined PDP because APC was leading Nigeria to Golgotha. APC candidates are promising to continue BUHARI’S “good works!” I joined PDP in order to sack APC from power and to do this I needed a strong opposition party. I had preached to my younger friends that only a mainstream party like PDP can achieve this in 2023. This remains my conviction. I practice what I preach. Those who disagree are in other parties and I respect their opinions and wish them well. I’m in PDP.
I love ASIWAJU BOLA AHMED TINUBU. We’ve truly come way back. I love PROFESSOR YEMI OSINBAJO. I love RT. HON. CHIBUIKE ROTIMI AMAECHI… And all my APC friends… But APC has done too much damage to Nigeria.
I choose to place Nigeria above friendship… I will try my best to support and encourage our PDP candidate ALHAJI ATIKU ABUBAKAR to do the right things in our party and to rescue our dear beloved country from the vestiges of oppression, religious intolerance, poverty, terrorism, infrastructure decay, economic wows, unemployment…
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria…