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By Lizzy Chirkpi
A media personality Dele Momodu has called out former presidential aides Reno Omokri and Femi Fani-Kayode, with Momodu openly criticising both men over their comments and political positions.
In statement, Momodu described both men as “perpetual agents of perfidy,” accusing them of attempting to intimidate him into silence. He dismissed their credibility, alleging that they had previously made damaging remarks about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu which, according to him, cannot be erased.
“Their records of attacking Tinubu are so extensive that no amount of revisionism can clean them up,” Momodu said, suggesting that their current support for the president is opportunistic.
Momodu further argued that the president’s continued association with the duo may be driven by desperation, claiming they are willing to say anything in defense of the administration.
Drawing a contrast with his own position, Momodu maintained that he has never made unsubstantiated allegations against Tinubu. He emphasized that his criticism of the president is limited to what he described as dictatorial tendencies, which he insists he stands by.
“All I have accused Tinubu of is dictatorship, and I stand by it with my full chest.” He said, linking his stance to Nigeria’s history of military rule and the annulment of the 1993 Nigerian presidential election.
Referencing late business mogul and presumed winner of that election, Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, Momodu noted that his opposition to authoritarianism is shaped by past national experiences. “Why replace military dictators with civilian slavemasters?” he asked.
Providing personal context, Momodu revealed that his relationship with Tinubu influenced his past restraint in public criticism. He stated that he had even suspended his well-known “Pendulum” column in ThisDay newspaper out of respect for appeals from Yoruba elders and political stakeholders who urged patience with the current administration.
He also made a personal claim that both Omokri and Fani-Kayode had, at different times, reached out to him privately to either seek publicity or reconcile after public disagreements.
The three figures at the center of the dispute have long histories in Nigeria’s political and media space. Momodu is a veteran journalist and publisher of Ovation International, while Omokri served as a media aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan and is known for his political commentary. Fani-Kayode, a former Minister of Aviation, has remained a controversial and outspoken political figure across multiple administrations.
The latest exchange is part of ongoing tension within Nigeria’s political elite, where shifting alliances and public disagreements continue to uphold the national discourse.