By Augustine Akhilomen
….Warns President Against Trusting Politicians
…Says Some Govs Are Running Away From Being Investigated By EFCC, ICPC
…As Wike Praises Okowa, Oborevwori For Backing Tinubu
Former presidential aspirant under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dele Momodu, has advised President Bola Tinubu not to turn Nigeria into a democratic dictatorship.
He made this remark in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, where he criticized the recent 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.
Momodu said that he was not surprised by Okowa’s defection to the APC, saying that the former governor had been under serious harassment.
The PDP stalwart cautioned the president against trusting politicians and veering away from democratic values.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“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.
Meanwhile, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has praised Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and his predecessor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, the 2023 People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Vice-Presidential candidate, for endorsing President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, Wike described their support as an endorsement of Tinubu’s good governance. He stated, “It is another endorsement of the president’s good governance and commitment to the development of the country.”
Wike, who urged other Nigerians to back Tinubu, called Okowa’s endorsement a vindication of his own 2023 stance for a united Nigeria, saying, “I commend Dr Okowa and Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for this heartwarming decision, which must have been informed by the good governance and commitment of President Bola Tinubu to the oneness and development of Nigeria.”
He added, “They have come out at the right time to show support for the president so that the people of the Niger Delta can benefit more from the government.”
Wike expressed delight that others are joining the “Renewed Hope train” he foresaw in 2023.