By Eric Elezuo

He is renowned. He is distinguished. He is a symbol of entrepreneurial intelligence. He is a master of laurels, honours and awards. He is the 2024 Vanguard Personality of the Year, among of host of recognitions. He is Dr. Adedeji Adeleke, the Chairman, Pacific Holdings Limited.

With a retinue of friends, family members, colleagues, associates, staff and well wishers, Adeleke, represented by the Deputy Governor of Osun State, Prince Kola Adewusi, stepped on the stage of the the Eko Hotels and Suites, where he was decorated with the personality award for his outstanding contributions to the power sector. His impact in the education sector cannot be overemphasized, as well.

At 68, he still remains one of the most sought after personalities with the milk of human kindness. His philanthropy reverberates across the length and breadth of the African continent, and with a net-worth of over 1.7 billion in United States of American dollars, it is not hard to imagine that the erudite scholar and reputed oil and real estate magnate, Dr. Adeleke, is a force to reckon with in the Nigerian socio-political and economic terrain. It is no wonder therefore, that he was found worthy to wear the prestigious crown of personality of the year.

To many, he is the hitherto unknown ‘Baba Olowo’, as represented by his son, David Adeleke, in his hit song, Emi Omo Baba Olowo, to many others, he is just the father of one of Nigeria’s successful musicians, Davido, and to many others, he is the pathfinder that has helped in paving a path of fruitfulness for the Adeleke family in particular, and the people of Osun State in general.

Ebullient and irrepressibly renowned, Dr. Adedeji Tajudeen Adeleke, a native of Ede in Osun State, was born on March 6, 1957 in Enugu State, to Ayoola Raji Adeleke and Esther Nnenna Adeleke. Growing up with his maternal grandmother, fashioned in him the distinct features of Nigerian-ism thus becoming one of the few Nigerians, who are privileged to savour the true Nigerian originality, boasting of two physical ethnic nationalities – Yoruba and Igbo.

Adeleke’s linage is blessed as his siblings are also movers and shakers of the Nigerian political and economic environments. His elder brother, late Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke, was the first civilian governor of Osun State, and his younger brother, Senator Ademola Adeleke, is the present governor of Osun State.

Fondly called Deji by family members and loved ones, and Chairman by friends and associates, Dr. Adeleke, whose father was a renowned labour leader and activist, in addition to being the Balogun of Ede land and one time Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is many things one.

Tapping from the Igbo background of his beloved mother and the Yoruba originality of his father, Dr. Adeleke has overtime showcased qualities that stood him out as a believer in the oneness of the country, Nigeria.

Dr. Adeleke lived his early life in Enugu, where he developed inert abilities to mastering business craftsmanship, before moving to Ansar-Ud-Deen Primary School, Surulere Lagos, for his primary education. Thereafter, he proceeded to Seventh-Day Adventist Grammar School, Ede where he graduated from in 1975, obtaining his West African School Certificate in flying colours.

His brilliance, coupled with opportunities, created a leeway for him thereafter to proceed to Western Kentucky University in the United States of America where he distinguished himself in academics and other endeavours, and graduating with a Bachelors degree in Finance in 1979.

A thoroughbred lover of education, Adeleke followed up his bachelors degree triumph with an MBA in 1981 and thereafter a Ph.D. in International Business from Pacific Columbia University, Mills Valley, California in 1983. It is not an understatement to say the proverbial ‘baba olowo’ is well read.

Having completed the academic trilogy, and with undisputable qualifications, Adeleke returned to serve his fatherland in the capacity of a Corps member in the National Youth Service Corps scheme; a clarion call he obeyed with all his being as a true Nigerian.

Armed and totally ready to take on the world, Adeleke ventured into the entrepreneurial world, audaciously establishing a drilling company, Pacific Drilling Company Limited which soon became the brainchild of other entrepreneurial ventures, metamorphosing into Pacific Holdings Limited, with a distinct focus on finances and investments in different sectors of the Nigerian economy, which comprises other groups of companies with diverse biases, including Pacific Energy Limited.

An egghead of no mean abilities, Adeleke is one of few academics, who holds double doctoral degrees, as he was privileged to bag a second Ph.D from the University of Phoenix, Arizona USA, where he studiously laboured for his honours.

His lofty academic sojourns have in more ways than one paved the way for him to conquer the competitive world of entrepreneurship. He is also the founder and Chairman Board of Directors of Pacific Merchant Bank Ltd which later became one of the legacy banks in the guise of present day Unity Bank Plc.

Quintessential in all ramifications, Dr. Adeleke is a philanthropist of note as his foundations and establishments speak volumes of his worth, and what he is capable of doing. Among his many foundations, dedicated to the upliftment of mankind, is the Springtime Development Foundation (SDF), a not-for-profit NGO, which has become a vehicle for the awards of scholarships at all levels of education, and distribution of medical assistance to diverse medical units across board; locally and internationally to meet the needs of needy Nigerians.

Adeleke’s SDF is also the brain behind the establishment of the prestigious Adeleke University Ede, where he is the Pro-Chancellor. In addition, Dr. Adeleke sits on the board of various blue chip companies across the globe.

The man of means through the Springtime Development Foundation (SDF) founded Adeleke University in Ede, Osun State, to ensure less privileged students have access to a quality higher education.

He is known to be not just a father in words, but highly impactful, consciously and unconsciously imparting his children and any other person that crosses his path with his Midas touch of gold. It is said that no one, who had ever crossed his path, leaves the same. Some say he is generous to a fault, and evenly and happily distributes his God-given wealth.

Yes, testimonials abound of those who had come his way, and had a total turnaround in both status and acumen, connecting a meaningful impact to their lives. With his SDF tool, not a few lives have witnessed a turnaround.

Dr. Adeleke is blessed with four children, two males and two females named Adewale Adeleke, David Adeleke (Davido), Sharon and Ashley Coco, from his beautiful wife, Veronica, who died in 2003, and many grandchildren. His children are living examples of his paternal influence as they all have carved a veritable niche and influence for themselves in different areas of human endeavours.

His youngest son, Davido, is a world renowned musician and philanthropist, carting away awards after awards just like his father, in many areas, and living the life of a real chip off the old block with humongous acts of giving that has left many just wondering.

He also has numerous grandchildren among whom are Imade Adeleke, Hailey Adeleke and the newest twins, who are Davido’s children.

Adeleke is a lover of life, and the good things that come with it. As a result, he owns a Bombardier Challenger 605 Business jet and a Bombardier Global Express 6000 for both classic luxury and ease of movement, as an international businessman, who is constantly on the move.

Through his Pacific Energy Limited, Davido’s dad has played a pivotal role in delivering about 15% of the nation’s electricity supply. His visionary leadership is further reflected in the near completion of a $2 billion thermal power plant, poised to become the largest in Nigeria. Adeleke has not relented in providing high class social amenities for the Nigerian populace.

At 68, he could be described as an accomplished husband, father, nationalist and entrepreneur.

We salute your dexterity and pray for more of wealth and health and many more honours and awards to celebrate.

We celebrate you sir!

Dr. Akinwumi Ayodeji Adesina
President and Chairman of the Boards of Directors, African Development Bank Group

Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina is the 8th elected President of the African Development Bank Group. He was first elected to the position on May 28, 2015, and historically unanimously re-elected in 2020.
Dr. Adesina is a globally renowned development economist and agricultural development expert, with more than 30 years of international experience. He was the first student to graduate with First Class bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Nigeria, in 1981.
He holds a master’s degree (1985) and a PhD in Agricultural Economics (1988) from Purdue University, USA, where he won the Outstanding PhD thesis award for that year. Dr. Adesina also won the prestigious Rockefeller Foundation Social Science Fellowship in 1988, which launched him into his international career.

A bold reformer, as the Minister of Agriculture in Nigeria from 2011-2015, Dr. Adesina turned Nigeria’s agriculture sector around within four years. Under his tenure, Nigeria ended 40 years of corruption in the fertilizer sector by developing and implementing an innovative electronic wallet system, which economically impacted the lives and livelihoods of 15 million farmers by directly providing them with subsidized farm inputs at scale using their mobile phones.

A firm believer in private sector-led growth, Dr. Adesina radically changed the perception of agriculture in Nigeria from ‘subsistence’ to a viable business activity that successfully attracted $5.6 billion in private sector investments. Ultimately, under his leadership, Nigeria’s food production expanded by an historic additional 21 million metric tons.
Prior to his appointment as Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Adesina was the Vice President for Policy and Partnerships with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), where he led several bold and innovative policy and finance initiatives that leveraged over $4 billion in Bank finance commitments to Africa’s agriculture sector. Working with African Heads of State, Ministers of Finance, Central Bank Governors, and leaders in the commercial banking industry and across several African countries, Dr. Adesina successfully led one of the largest global efforts to leverage domestic bank finance for the agricultural sector.

He also previously served as Associate Director and Regional Director for the Southern Africa Office of the Rockefeller Foundation for over a decade.
A prolific writer, Dr. Adesina has authored over 70 scholarly publications on policy, agricultural development, and African development issues.

He is a globally respected economist and has served as the President of the African Association of Agricultural Economists, as well as on the Editorial Board of several academic journals, including the International Journal of Agricultural Economists. He was awarded the Outstanding Black Agricultural Economist Award by the American Association of Agricultural Economists. He was a Distinguished Africanist Scholar at Cornell University, USA.

As President of the African Development Bank, in 2015, he launched a bold strategy to transform the bank’s business model and the lives of millions of Africans. The Strategy known as the High 5s: to Light Up and Power Africa; Feed Africa; Integrate Africa; Industrialize Africa; and Improve the quality of life of the people of Africa, have since impacted the lives of more than 500 million Africans.

To attract increased investments into Africa, Dr. Adesina launched the Africa Investment Forum (AIF) in 2018, the first event of its kind, to attract global capital and accelerate Africa’s economic development. The unique investment forum, which has several African and global financial institutional partners, has become the premier investment marketplace for Africa, attracting over $200 billion worth of investment interests across Africa.
Dr. Adesina has received several distinctions and global awards, including the 2007 YARA Prize in Oslo, Norway, for his pioneering leadership in African Agriculture. The Distinguished Alumni Award from Purdue University, USA, in 2008; Distinguished Alumni Award in 2009 and the Grand Commander of Great Ife in 2013, both from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria; and Borlaug CAST Communications Award in 2010 by the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, USA, for his global leadership in agricultural science and technology.

He has received several honorary doctoral awards globally, including Franklin and Marshall College, USA; Purdue University, USA; Michigan State University, USA; Duke University, USA; and the University of Alberta Canada.

In Africa, he has received honorary doctorates by major universities, including Makerere University, Uganda; Ethiopia’s Addis Ababa University; The American University of Nigeria; Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria; Adekunle Ajasin University, Nigeria; Afe Babalola University Nigeria; Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria; Bowen University Nigeria; Veritas University, Nigeria; Bayero University, Nigeria; and the Nigerian Defense Academy.

In October 2017, his alma mater, Purdue University, USA, decorated him with its highest honor, the Order of the Griffin, a rare honor given only to 50 persons since 1893, including Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon.

In 2010, Dr. Adesina was appointed by the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, as one of 17 world leaders to galvanize international support for the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.

In 2019, the United Nations Secretary General António Guterres appointed Dr. Adesina as one of 23 global leaders to help end hunger and malnutrition. He serves globally as one of the Commissioners for the Global Climate Commission, co-Chaired by Bill Gates, and former United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, to tackle global climate change. Dr. Adesina also serves on the Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition.

Dr. Adesina has won several international awards including the Forbes Africa Person of the Year for his bold reforms in Nigeria’s agriculture sector; Nigeria’s Leadership Newspaper’s 2013 Public Servant of the Year, for his bold policy reforms, transparency, and public accountability; and the Extra-Ordinary Achievement Award by Silverbird Television, Nigeria, for his achievements as Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture.

Also, the West African Institute of Public Health, recognized Dr. Adesina with its 2020 Distinguished Fellowship Award, for his innovative and successful efforts to curb the impact of the coronavirus pandemic in Africa.

At a national level, Dr. Adesina has been conferred with Nigeria’s second-highest national honor, the Commander of the Order of the Niger, for his outstanding service to his country, Nigeria.

In recognition of his outstanding leadership, passion, and dedication for accelerating African development, he has also been awarded the highest national honors of nine African countries: Senegal, Cameroon, Madagascar, Togo, Liberia, Niger, The Gambia, Djibouti and Tunisia respectively. In March 2025, he was conferred with Kenya’s highest national honor, the Chief of the Order of tbe Golden Heart, the 10th recipient of the honor since Independence.

In 2017, the World Food Prize Foundation awarded Dr. Adesina the World Food Prize, generally known as the “Nobel Prize for Agriculture.” Dr. Adesina devoted the $250,000 Laureate award to the establishment of the World Hunger Fighters Foundation, to help support Africa’s youth in agriculture and to develop a new generation of world hunger fighters. In the same year, Bill Gates listed Dr. Adesina’s award of the World Food Prize and his gesture to use it to support the youth in Africa as one of the seven most encouraging moments of 2017.

In 2019, Dr. Adesina was awarded several distinguished awards including the prestigious Sunhak Peace Prize in Seoul, South Korea, for his global leadership on agriculture, food security, transparency, and good governance. He dedicated his $500,000 award prize to the World Hunger Fighters Foundation that he established to fight global hunger.

He was awarded the Emeka Anyaoku Lifetime Achievement Award of Outstanding International Icon by the Hallmarks of Labor Foundation, during which Chief Anyaoku, former Commonwealth Secretary General said, “Dr. Adesina’s work, and leadership are legendary, unprecedented and worthy of emulation.”

In 2019, Dr. Adesina led the African Development Bank to achieve its highest capital increase since the Bank’s establishment in 1964, when shareholders raised the general capital of the Bank from $93 billion to $208 billion – a historic achievement for Africa.

In 2020, Dr. Adesina was re-elected to a second term as President of the African Development Bank Group with 100% of the votes of all 81 African and Non-African shareholder countries, the first such achievement in the then 55-year history of the African Development Bank, a demonstration of global confidence in his outstanding leadership of the African Development Bank.

In 2023, Dr. Adesina and the President of Senegal convened the Feed Africa Summit, which attracted 34 African Heads of State, the President of Ireland and hundreds of ministers from within and outside Africa and successfully mobilized $72 billion for tackling food security in Africa – the largest ever globally coordinated effort in Africa’s history.

In 2023, Dr. Adesina was named one of the 100 Most Influential Africans by the New Africa Magazine.

In 2024, Dr. Adesina was awarded the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership which recognized him as “a Pan Africanist with enthusiastic commitment to the positive transformation of the continent, he has demonstrated core leadership qualities that have been associated with Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and which this Prize is meant to encourage and reward. Dr. Adesina is a person whose outstanding leadership has occasioned public policies that have positively transformed millions of lives.”

In 2024, Dr. Adesina and the President of the World Bank Group Ajay Banga launched an historic partnership that led to the creation of Mission300, an ambitious multibillion dollar initiative to connect 300 million people in Africa to electricity by 2030.

Dr. Adesina has transformed the African Development Bank Group into an award-winning global brand that is a leader in financial innovation. For the second time, the African Development Bank Group has been ranked in the 2024 Aid Transparency Index as the most transparent development organization in the world and recorded the highest score ever by any development organization.

Under Dr. Adesina’s leadership, the Bank Group’s general capital has significantly grown from $93 billion when he took office as President in 2015 to $318 billion on 2024, following approval by the Board of Governors during the Bank Group’s Annual Meetings in Nairobi. The quantum financial increase reflects strong confidence in the leadership and management of Africa’s only AAA rated financial institution.

To reform the global financial architecture, under Dr Adesina’s leadership, the African Development Bank teamed up with the Inter-American Development Bank, and developed an innovative proposal, approved in 2024 by the IMF to channel Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) through multilateral development banks. The bold, pioneering, and innovative initiative could unlock new lending opportunities for all global development finance institutions, and the African Development Bank, at greater scale and multiply the leveraging impact of the allocations to the benefit of millions of Africans.

In 2024 Dr Adesina was named as the inaugural African-of-the-Decade Award recipient by the All-Africa Business Leaders Awards (AABLA™). His citation noted: “Dr. Adesina has demonstrated a significant impact on the African continent through innovative solutions, projects, or initiatives that address the continent’s pressing socio-economic and environmental challenges. He has consistently shown leadership, vision, and dedication, driving positive change in sustainable development in Africa,”

The leading reputation management firm, Reputation Poll International, has listed Dr. Adesina among the 100 most reputable people in the world.

By Eric Elezuo

On February 20, 2025, former Military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, presented his much awaited autobiography, My Journey in Service, to the public.

Among other things, Babangida acknowledged that the much talked about June 12, 1993 election was actually won by Chief MKO Abiola, noting that his hands were tied forces beyond his control, prompting his annulment of the election, and suspension of the announcement of the results.

The former Head of State, who held sway between 1987 and 1993, consequently asked for forgiveness from Nigerians and all stakeholders.

Conseqently, celebrated journalist and Chairman, Ovation Media Group, Chief Dele Momodu, who is a prodigy of Abiola, and an active participant in the June 12 project, opens up in the aftermath as he speaks with TVC’s Nifemi Oguntoye in a no holds interview.

Below are the juicy details…

This is Beyond 100 Days with Nifemi Oguntoye.

Former Military Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida, says he regrets the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, describing it as the most difficult period of his life. The former Head of State said this at the official launch of his memoir; A Journey in Service, in Abuja. He described the election as undoubtedly credible, free, and fair, but the tragic irony of history remains that his administration, which devised a near-perfect electoral system and conducted a near-perfect election, could not complete the process.

The book, which offers insights into key moments in the country’s history, also addresses other national controversies, including the 1976 coup attempt that led to the assassination of then Head of State, Murtala Mohammed, and the 1986 letter bomb that killed investigative journalist Dele Giwa. Reflecting on his decision to annul the June 12 election, retired General Babangida admitted that if given another chance, he would have handled the situation quite differently.

Let’s bring in someone who was at the centre of it all, and who was actively involved in the June 12 struggle in 1993.

My guest resigned to join the Moshood Abiola presidential campaign organization. He was arrested and detained at Alagbon, in Lagos, after the annulment of the presidential election by General Ibrahim Babangida. Journalist and publisher of Ovation International, Dele Momodu. Thank you so much for joining us on the program.

Dele Momodu: Thank you so much for inviting me.

Glad to have you. Let’s begin with what seemed a very fascinating scene at the book launch. We saw former adversaries putting their past behind them and coming together in the spirit of camaraderie. General Gowon’s government was overthrown by a coup that involved General IBB, and Moshood Abiola himself… President Buhari was also represented, having had his government overthrown by IBB. What do you make of that spectacle?

Dele Momodu: Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it, though I was invited. I tried everything. I left London yesterday through Ghana, but this morning, I couldn’t connect my flight to Lagos. My flight from Lagos to Abuja was also not possible because of certain delays. I would have wished to be there. I planned everything. My team was on the ground, and I only watched a bit of it because my flight came very late into Lagos. I saw who is who in Nigeria. Babangida has always been the chairman. He’s always been one of the most controversial, but very cosmopolitan leader at the same time. It’s always been a paradox, and that’s why he was nicknamed the “Evil Genius.” I mean, you can imagine, in his 80s, how he was able to pull all that crowd today. He did his bit as president, and we were quite fascinated by his actions and sometimes inactions. But unfortunately, the June 12 incident killed that legacy. I’m sure the subject of the book is to try and see if there is a way he can explain himself to Nigerians and to friends of Nigerians globally, to make sure that legacy is not totally eroded. Because he did… I mean, he had one of the best teams. If you are looking at a star-studded cabinet, you can see the way he was reeling out names of people who worked with him, who collaborated with him, and everything. But what I’m dying to read is to see what happened exactly. Why was June 12 the best election? Everybody says, “Oh, he annulled it.” No, we knew from day one, no one ever contested it. So, I cannot wait to read about what happened, and I hope the book will provide answers to that.

Let’s begin with some excerpts because the former vice president reviewed the book, and we were able to get some. Although I’m on record to have stated that after the election, Abiola may not have won the June 12 elections, upon reflection and a closer examination of all available facts, particularly the detailed election results, which are published as an appendix to this book, there was no doubt MKO Abiola won the June 12 election. He goes ahead to say, “Looking back now, the June 12 saga was undeniably the most challenging moment of my life and, in certain respects, one of the most painful. If I had to do it all over again, I would do it differently.” How do you perceive this acknowledgment of MKO’s victory? And the big question is also, why did it take him 32 years after he left office? Why now?

Dele Momodu: Well, we’ve tried in the past to seek answers to those questions. The impression we got was that the military can be very stubborn. When they take actions, they come out full-chested—“I did it.” Maybe that’s why, in every interview he granted, he never answered those questions specifically. As an insider, I knew that the election took place because certain people… People often forget that Babangida could not have acted alone. Even from the way he reeled out the names today, he was a people’s man who consulted widely before taking decisions. I’m sure there were some people, we called them “principalities” at that time, who convinced him that no, no, Abiola cannot be our president. It happens till today—some people decide, we call them “owners of Nigeria,” and they would have decided that, “Oh no, Abiola cannot be our president.” There were people, of course, for selfish interests. He had mentioned before that his guys were going to kill both himself and Abiola if he handed over to Abiola.
So, I believe that the moment they made up their mind collectively that they were not going to hand over to Abiola, it became difficult for Babangida alone to bear the fall guy. But I think today, he inches closer to accepting that look, “I fumbled. I shouldn’t have done it that way.” Which is okay. Some of us will accept that. Even Abiola himself, I can tell you, wanted their friendship to continue because they had a blossoming friendship at that time. But unfortunately, I don’t know why it was so difficult for them to reverse. They had at least a few days and weeks to reverse that decision, and Nigerians would have applauded and given them a standing ovation. But they missed that chance.

Even in acknowledging MKO’s victory in his speech today, Babangida did say, “We acted in supreme national interest,” and I’m sure that’s what many people want to find out. He went ahead to also say that he has paid a huge part of his debt. Do you think this will, in a way, refine his legacy, following the big perception after the annulment?

Dele Momodu: Well, I would have to read the book to know precisely what he’s talking about, but as I said, you must respect his decision—that is his personal decision. I’m happy that he’s living with it and taking full responsibility for that action, which threw Nigeria into total chaos. In fact, I don’t think we have recovered from that action till today. On June 12, Nigerians united for once to vote for one man without considering religion or ethnicity, and we missed that opportunity. Today, we are fighting on the accounts of religion, ethnicity, and all sorts of divides. That Abiola election would have sealed it finally—that we are one Nigeria. Wherever we meet, I just came back today… Everywhere I’ve been, people pay my bills at restaurants. Whether they are Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, they do, but when it comes to politics, Nigerian politicians just love to use divide-and-rule tactics to win elections.

That’s when everybody will be talking about this one being a Muslim, that one being a Christian, but we are all Nigerians, first and foremost. Abiola was a true Nigerian, an original Nigerian, welcomed everywhere in Nigeria and the world. It’s difficult to find such a man in this generation; they don’t manufacture such people every day in heaven.

Interestingly, IBB also took some part of the glory because we make reference to the 1993 election as free, fair, and credible, and he says that he led an administration that devised a near-perfect electoral system and conducted a near-perfect election but could not complete the process.

Dele Momodu: Yes, but he became imperfect. Yes, but he became imperfect with that annulment. Immediately that happened, that killed it. You know, it’s like you give birth to your own baby, a very beautiful bouncing baby, and suddenly you just decide to snuff the life out of the baby. That’s what happened on June 12, and that’s why we are still talking about it. Look at how many years, how many decades it has taken us to get this far. And I’m telling you, even with this book, I’m sure there will still be many controversies.

Absolutely. We have some insights already, the fact that he’s expressed satisfaction with former President Buhari’s decision to honor M.K.O. Abiola posthumously and recognize June 12 as Nigeria’s Democracy Day. What’s your take on that development, and how does it rub off on his legacy?

Dele Momodu: Well, I mean, what he couldn’t do, I believe President Muhammadu Buhari did it. We all thanked him at that time, though we felt it was belated, and also, we felt that he was playing to the gallery, that he used it for political reasons. You know, in Nigeria, when the witch cries today, and the child dies tomorrow, everybody knows what happened. So, we’re not too sure that Buhari was a great fan of Abiola, but at least he played that game, and he played it very well.

So, you had your own share of General Ibrahim Babangida, following the annulment of that election. Walk us through what happened, and then watching him years after, do you feel a sense of perhaps being absolved now that he has acknowledged it? And have you truly forgiven him?

Dele Momodu: Oh, I forgave him long ago. I’m a Christian, and the Holy Book says you must forgive your enemies, your traducers, seventy times seven times. So, I followed that injunction in the Bible. I can get angry with people, and almost immediately, you see me playing with them. A lot of people have attacked me, saying, “Why do you romance your enemies, or the enemies of Abiola?” But as a disciple of Abiola, I knew that Abiola forgave people easily. Abiola was not a vindictive person, and that’s what made him who he was. That’s why he could achieve what he achieved. I follow in his trajectory very religiously.

You know, for me, it’s interesting. I was in Abiola’s house, this must have been the end of July 1993. He asked me to come for some documents, and I got there around 2 p.m., but I didn’t get to see him until 4 a.m. The whole house was empty. By the time he came, he was in a very private meeting. Then he came in and said, “Dele, I’m very sorry I’ve kept you waiting.” That night, my friend, Mayor Akinpelu was having his bachelor’s eve, so I missed it. That’s at Lacapine Tropicana at somewhere in Adeniyi Jones.

Chief gave me the documents, which I was supposed to take to Tell magazine, to Mr. Kolawole Ilori. You know, he was living somewhere around Akowonjo. So, I left, not knowing what I was carrying. I mean, when you trust someone, you just take whatever they give you. But apparently, those were very hot documents. So I drove to Mayor’s bachelor’s eve, got there, and they were just finishing the event, but I wasn’t in the mood because I had been sitting down all night waiting for Chief. I decided to go to Water Parks, where Shina Peters was playing. When I got there, Shina was just finishing. I then left and went to Night Shift, to go see Gov Ken Olumese. He sat me down, we had sandwiches and coffee. I didn’t know I was being trailed by security people.

Eventually, I went to Mr. Kola Ilori’s place, delivered what I needed to deliver, then went to my house in Ojodu, somewhere in Adigboduja, where I was staying at the time. A few minutes after I entered bed, my wife rushed into the bedroom, saying, “Some people are banging on the door.” I asked, “Who’s banging on my door?” She didn’t know. As the only man in the house, I came out and asked, “Please, who are you?” They said, “We’re from police headquarters.”
“What have I done?”
“You have to open your door, otherwise, we’ll break it down.” To cut a long story short, that was how I was taken away to Moloni at that time. They came back later to search my apartment and picked up some documents. They said they were seditious, whatever. I was in Alagbon detention camp for over a week before they took me to a magistrate court.

But what you must also note is that Babangida, despite everything, people could still negotiate with him, unlike Abacha, who came later, and we all had to run for our lives. They were trying to persuade me to leave Abiola alone. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a one-way person. If I follow you, I follow you to the end. So for me, I forgave him. We’ve met a couple of times. I’m friends with his family. His wife, Maryam, always liked me because of the exclusive stories I did about the family when they were in Dodan Barracks. When they were going to have their last baby in Dodan Barracks, I wrote the exclusives about how she was exercising and everything. Aisha, their daughter, is my very good friend. We chat from time to time.
I always advise, look, all Baba has to do is apologize. Nigerians are not too difficult when it comes to certain things. They just want you to come upfront with them. Which is what I believe he’s trying to do today.

Absolutely. We will get back to IBB shortly. You’ve attempted to run for the presidency twice now. Some say those of you who were active during the June 12 struggle have a sense of entitlement legitimacy to lead this country. How do you react to that?

Dele Momodu: No, in my own case, no. I always say that I was badly influenced by the emergence of Barack Obama. We had always complained, all of us complained and lamented, like the biblical Jeremiah, but we did nothing about it. I thought, if Nigeria is ugly, and you have your own beautiful daughter at home, why don’t you present your own daughter? That’s what led me to it. I didn’t want my children to ask me in the future, “You were busy grumbling and writing a weekly column, Pendulum, but you did nothing.” I thought, if I think I’m better, why not try? Obama was a young man, younger than me, when he came out. He was in his early 40s. I had just turned 50 when I decided. It had nothing to do with June 12. I believed in myself, and I still believe in myself, that I can lead a good country with discipline, focus, tenacity, courage, and, especially, if you can relate to everybody. If you’ve studied my life, you’ll see that I did not just follow Abiola. I took a lot from him, especially in terms of networking.

Watching that book launch today, you see a whole generation of leaders. Give it to them. The former vice president was saying that in IBB’s class, there were two presidents, four governors. I mean, it was first class. But it also brings to mind the question of succession. Do you think that’s a question Nigeria has answered? Because you look at all of them – OBJ, IBB, even the current president – they all belong to the older age. Do you think there’s a vibrant younger generation ready to take the baton?

Dele Momodu: No, but they were all young when they were in power.

But they are still perhaps calling the shots today.

Dele Momodu: That’s true. Even in America, you see that George Bush, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter before he died, all of them called the shots. That’s why they are called the presidential class. They are extraordinary human beings. They are not your regular. To be the president of the biggest black nation on earth is not a joke. For all of them to call the shots, they will always do so.

Because even today, I was watching President Tinubu; we joined forces to fight IBB and to fight Abacha at that time. But today, you will not see him address IBB the way we were addressing them in those days. So, that’s the way life is, you know. And as you mature with age, if you had invited me, let’s say, 25 years ago, I’m sure I’d be Spitting Fire and abusing, and as you get older, you just have to know “when you get old, you have to act old”, you know. So, we mature people, and we want peace in our country.

Even when I disagree with you, I still want peace because I know that the children of the elite, what I call the privilegentials, their children will never be seen on the street fighting. It’s always the poor people who will get hit by bullets. And for me, I have a conscience. I will not send other people’s children to die for me because of power.

Absolutely. Yeah, I’m wondering what your thoughts are as to how you think Nigerians should react or respond to IBB’s admission and the best way to move forward from this very historic acknowledgment. How do you think the reaction should be? How do we move forward from this historic acknowledgment?

Dele Momodu: Oh, I think Nigerians already moved forward. I mean, you accept what you cannot change. We accepted it, we didn’t like it, we didn’t forget it, and we’re not likely to forget it. But the principal actor coming out to say, “Hey, I was wrong,” that’s good enough.

Do you think it has added anything substantially to Abiola’s legacy, or is it just a symbol?

Dele Momodu: No, no, no, Abiola’s legacy would always be intact on June 12th. God decided to purify Abiola and to cleanse him of all his sins, because none of us— we’re all sinners— none of us is perfect. But Abiola became a saint. The deification of Abiola happened on that day, and God gave him that chance. It doesn’t happen to everyone; it’s not everyone that will have that chance while on Earth to become a saint and a martyr. That is something very, very special.

Absolutely. It’s now 2025. You know, 1993, you were active in the struggle. Are you seeing signs of progress democratically in Nigeria, or what are those challenges you think have remained, you know, from 1993 till now?

Dele Momodu: There are things I would not want to say because of where I am, but I’m worried about our democracy. Very, very worried. And the reason is simple: democracy should give all of us freedom to run and act sensibly. But in a situation where it is “Winner Takes All,” and it is absolute power, and in a civilian regime, you begin to see traces and symptoms of dictatorship. It worries me, and that’s why I’ve always appealed, especially to my big brother, the current president, that look, you can fail in everything, sir, but make sure you don’t fail to deepen democracy. If they defeat you, they defeat you. If you defeat us, opposition, defeat us. That is my position; it’s nothing personal. You see, that’s why it’s democracy.

Look, President Tinubu became an idol to a lot of us because he stood stoutly against dictatorship. Because he stood; even when Obasanjo came, and Obasanjo was giving Lagos problems, he stood firm, and we stood by him. When they took him to the Code of Conduct Tribunal, we all rose up and said, “No, you cannot witch-hunt a man because of his political leanings.” So, I pray that will continue, and that’s what democracy is all about.

Looking forward to reading the book, right?

Dele Momodu: Oh no, I can’t wait to read it. I’ll see Uncle Yemi Ogunbiyi who was kind enough to invite me.

Thank you so much for coming.

Dele Momodu: Thank you, sir

Interviewer: I get to see you again. Well, that’s our show today, everyone. Thanks for being a part of it. You can watch it all over again at midnight and at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow. I am Nifemi Oguntoye.