Former presidential aspirant under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dele Momodu, has advised President Bola Tinubu not to place blind trust in defecting politicians, urging him instead to uphold the core values of democracy and allow political freedom to flourish in Nigeria.
Momodu made this statement on Wednesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he addressed the wave of defections from the PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), most notably in Delta State.
Momodu’s comment followed the defection of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, his deputy, Monday Onyeme, and former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to the All Progressives Congress, along with commissioners and key PDP stakeholders in the state on Wednesday.
Reacting to the political realignments, the 64-year-old said, “I’m not surprised about it—it’s been under serious harassment in recent times; it’s nothing new. What would surprise me is if President Bola Tinubu truly believes people are joining the APC because they love him or because he is doing fantastically well.”
Issuing a direct message to President Tinubu, Momodu said, “My advice to Asiwaju is that he should not trust these politicians. Right now, everyone can see that he is determined to get a second term. God gave him the first term, not through coercion. I don’t know why he now believes he must secure a second term through it.”
The PDP stalwart cautioned the president against veering away from democratic values.
“My advice to him is simple: uphold our democratic tenets. Do not turn Nigeria into a democratic dictatorship. No matter what happens, you were a pro-democracy man before becoming president. Please, allow democracy to breathe in Nigeria. If you don’t, I can bet my life that later in life it will be deeply regrettable,” he said.
Political Survival Or Allegiance
According to the Ovation International publisher, the trend is more a reflection of political survival than genuine allegiance.
“What people are doing now is a game of survival. Gone are the days when we used to boast that going to prison made one a martyr.
“We once admired the likes of Nelson Mandela, MKO Abiola, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, for enduring detention in the name of principle. These days, nobody wants to go to detention,” he noted.
Momodu further alleged that most politicians have, at one time or another, faced intimidation or investigation from anti-corruption bodies.
“Everybody wants to stay at home and talk about the money they’ve made from politics. Name one politician who has not been harassed by either the EFCC or the ICPC at some point,” he said.
Coercion?
The former presidential aspirant described the current administration’s strategy as leaning heavily on coercion.
“For me, it’s clear that this government’s strategy is: ‘if we can’t persuade you, we’ll force you’. And for now, that force appears to be working. But politics can change in 24 hours,” the journalist warned.
Momodu’s remarks come at a time of heightened political tension, as high-profile defections continue to reshape Nigeria’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections.
This is not the first time the journalist has openly criticised President Tinubu’s governance style, particularly on matters concerning democratic principles and political freedom.
In a separate interview on March 31, during Channels Television’s sister programme The Morning Brief, Dele Momodu had strongly criticised President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, describing it as “anti-democratic.”
The decision, which saw the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and the Rivers State House of Assembly for six months, was condemned by Momodu as a betrayal of the democratic ideals Tinubu once championed during Nigeria’s pro-democracy struggles.
Momodu said, “I’m pleading with President Bola Tinubu—please don’t kill democracy in Nigeria. You can fail in the economy, and people might forgive you. But if you fail in democracy, history will not be kind.
“He fought for this democracy in exile; it would be a tragedy if he becomes the one to suffocate it.”
He further warned that the president is being misled by political allies and that true leadership lies in service, not intimidation.
