Publisher and former presidential aspirant Dele Momodu has stated that he would go to extraordinary lengths to support President Bola Tinubu, but only if the President governs by the democratic values they both fought to defend during Nigeria's military era. Speaking on Arise TV on Thursday, Momodu said, "I will ordinarily swim to the depth of the Atlantic Ocean for Tinubu if he were practising what we fought against when we were fighting the military."
Criticism Aimed at Policy, Not Personality
Momodu clarified that his criticism of the President was targeted at policy and governance, not personal in nature. He credited Tinubu with mentoring him and instilling the discipline to challenge authority, acknowledging the President's influence on his political thinking. Despite their public clashes since 2023, Momodu maintained that Tinubu remains someone he respects for shaping his political career.
A Friendship Forged in the June 12 Struggle
The relationship between the two men stretches back more than three decades to the pro-democracy movement against military rule. Tinubu, then a sitting senator, was a founding member of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), the group that fought for the recognition of Chief Moshood Abiola's June 12, 1993, presidential election victory after General Ibrahim Babangida's government annulled the results. Momodu was also deeply involved in that struggle, having worked on Abiola's campaign before the annulment. He was later detained for his role in the June 12 cause.
When General Sani Abacha seized power and moved against pro-democracy activists, both men went into exile. Tinubu left for the United Kingdom and the United States in 1994, returning only after Abacha's death in 1998. Momodu fled across the border into the Benin Republic and eventually made his way through Togo and Ghana before also reaching the UK.
From Allies to Vocal Critics
Since Tinubu took office in May 2023, the two have occasionally clashed in public. Momodu has become one of the more prominent voices criticising the administration's economic policies and political direction, even as he continues to acknowledge what Tinubu's backing meant for his own political career. He has previously noted that Tinubu's standing in Lagos politics contributed significantly to the national profile he now carries.
Momodu also said his chief worry was that the democratic space Nigerians sacrificed to win during the 1990s could be eroded by a civilian administration behaving in ways that mirror military rule. He ran for president on the National Conscience Party platform in 2011. More recently, he aligned with the African Democratic Congress before Peter Obi was ratified as that party's presidential candidate for the 2027 elections in May 2026. Momodu has remained an active voice in opposition circles ahead of the next general election, signalling his continued engagement in shaping Nigeria's political future.
