- Momodu said he respects Tinubu’s political influence
- He criticised any move towards civilian dictatorship
- He said his support depends on democratic principles
Publisher and former presidential aspirant Dele Momodu has said he would strongly support President Bola Tinubu if the administration governed according to the democratic values they both defended during Nigeria’s struggle against military rule.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that Momodu said his disagreement with Tinubu was rooted in concerns that Nigeria could replace military authoritarianism with what he described as civilian dictatorship.
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Speaking during an interview on Arise TV on Thursday, Momodu said he would go as far as “swim to the depth of the Atlantic Ocean” for Tinubu if the President remained committed to the principles they fought for during the pro-democracy movement.
He said there was no personal reason for him to oppose Tinubu, whom he described as someone he deeply respected and credited with influencing his political outlook.
According to Momodu, he avoids personal attacks against the President despite being a critic of his administration.
He said Tinubu was among the people who taught him that it was possible to challenge established authorities and succeed.
Momodu also praised Tinubu’s political achievements, saying his record in Lagos helped build his profile from a local political figure into a national leader.
The relationship between both men dates back to the pro-democracy campaigns of the 1990s following the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
Tinubu, who was then a senator, became one of the founding members of the National Democratic Coalition, which campaigned for the recognition of the mandate believed to have been won by Chief Moshood Abiola.
Momodu was also involved in the June 12 struggle and worked on Abiola’s presidential campaign before the election was annulled. He was later detained because of his involvement in the movement.
Following General Sani Abacha’s military takeover and the crackdown on pro-democracy activists, Tinubu went into exile in 1994 and operated from the United Kingdom and the United States until his return to Nigeria after Abacha’s death in 1998.
Momodu also left Nigeria during the period, travelling through the Benin Republic, Togo and Ghana before eventually settling in the United Kingdom.
Although both men shared a history in the struggle for democracy, they have disagreed publicly since Tinubu became President in 2023.
Momodu has emerged as a vocal critic of the administration’s economic and political policies but has continued to acknowledge Tinubu’s influence on his political development.
He has also maintained that his criticism of the President does not erase the support and relationship they shared in the past.
Momodu, who contested the 2011 presidential election on the platform of the National Conscience Party, has recently aligned with the African Democratic Congress and remains active in opposition politics ahead of the 2027 general election.
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