Dele Momodu: A Politician Guided by Principle

By Sani Sa’idu Baba

“if you are willing to abandon your principles for convenience, or social acceptability, they are not your principles, they are your costume…” Victor Hugo, German Philosopher

If there is one thing that I learnt from my boss and mentor, Chief Dele Momodu, it is the adherence to “Principle and Consistency” in whatever one does. I will therefore, not be out of place if I say that the veteran journalist is the most principled politician Nigeria ever had. This is perhaps the reason he chose his country above friendship, and that is what he preaches to me on a daily basis. He uncompromisingly practices what he preaches.

When his friend of over thirty (30) years, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, emerged the APC Presidential candidate in June, 2022, all eyes were on Dele Momodu. There was no way he would grant interviews without being asked if he would support his friend Asiwaju. The same question trails his movement on the social media space, and his answer had always been a capital NO, to the shock  and dismay of many. Literally, many were waiting to see an official announcement of his resignation from the PDP to support for his old friend Asiwaju in the APC. I knew that would never happen, and here is why

(1) When Momodu was asked by the screening committee before the primaries whether he would decamp if he lose the ticket or if he would support the ultimate winner, his answer was that he would support whoever emerges the flagbearer of his party. To the best of my knowledge, my boss is a man of his words.

(2) Dele Momodu is a democrat who knew the value of freedom, respects choice and doesn’t believe in political desperation, harassment or dirtiness.

(3) Even before Momodu threw his hat into the ring as presidential aspirant under Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he had since parted ways with the APC (though never been a member) when he realised that the direction they were going could only lead to perdition, and he believes the party didn’t deserve to be given another chance in 2023.

(4) Although much more closer to Tinubu of APC, Momodu is equally a good friend of all the presidential candidates, especially those that people would wish to call front liners like former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Gregory Obi of the Labour Party, former Kano State Governor Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of New Nigeria People’s Party and the candidate of his party PDP, former Vice president Atiku Abubakar. You will agree with me that it is not possible for someone to support all these candidates at the same time.

(5) If Momodu had got the PDP presidential ticket, would he had stepped down for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu because he is his friend? The answer is NO.

(6) Momodu supported candidates in the past strictly based on principle not region, religion or tribe even without being a member of their parties, and I doubt if he was ready to change just to massage the ego of his friend, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

In his words: “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.”

Momodu, however, said that while he would respect the opposing views of his friends, he chose to place Nigeria over friendship. Isn’t that very powerful and something to learn from?

“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 I choose Nigeria above friendship. Besides, I couldn’t believe it that these people are all in APC, but allowed President Buhari to continue that rascality…”

Having outlined my reasons, let me recall the first event that dismissed the thoughts that Momodu was going to support Tinubu. It was in church funeral setting in Lagos where Momodu, together with some of his friends met Remi, the wife of Tinubu. Mrs Tinubu had taken the bull by the horn and asked  Momodu whether he would support her husband. Momodu’s answer was legendary: “Asiwaju is in APC, and I am in PDP” but she didn’t take his answer funny perhaps she knew how adamant he could be on his choice and principle, and at the same time how desperate they needed him because of their knowledge of his capacity, with reference to supporting Buhari in 2015. This scenario as published in the social and main media sent a clear message that a Dele Momodu is not the jumping type.

Another event that brought an end contemplation as to whether Dele Momodu was truly against the candidacy of his friend Tinubu was how he dismissed the manifestos of the APC Presidential candidate “Renewed Hope 2023”, and tagged it plagiarized from late Chief MKO Abiola’s “Hope 1993” document. Abiola was the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 1993. Certainly, there is no living soul today who knew MKO Abiola’s political secrets like Dele Momodu. Momodu didn’t stopped at that, but furthered it by demonstrating Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as incompetent to lead Nigeria as a nation, citing the candidate of his party, PDP, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the most competent and qualified. Indeed, there’s not a better way to demonstrate maturity and political principle than the position Momodu has taken.

Similarly, those who call themselves ‘Obidients’ but abusively want to coerce others into the movement should also appreciate the concept of principle in politics as suggested by Victor Hugo “change your opinions, keep to your principles; change your leaves, but keep your roots intact…”.

With all due humility, Dele Momodu has never doubted the average capacity of Mr. Peter Obi, in fact Momodu was one of those that championed the course of Igbo Presidency. Had Peter Obi stayed in PDP, and secured the presidential ticket, the Momodu I know would have thrown his weight behind him as he is doing for Atiku Abubakar today. But his principle and analysis is that to win Presidency in Nigeria, you must join a mainstream party based on his experience when he contested in 2011.

Momodu is loyal to a cause, and the Atiku direction is the most appropriate as far as he is concerned, and he is hardly wrong. For him, it is completely a matter of principle, freedom and choice, and never force or aggrandizement, and that explains why the likes of Festus Keyamo, who mistakenly opened their mouths to utter what they know nothing about, were roundly shut up. It’s obvious he has learnt his lesson, the hard way though.

Momodu is determined to ensure the victory of Atiku Abubakar in 2023 by any means legal and godly, both in his capacity as a citizen and his mandate as the Director of Strategic Communications of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council.