By Anifowoshe Oladipupo
Veteran journalist and two-time presidential aspirant, Chief Dele Momodu, has expressed deep concern over Nigeria’s democratic trajectory, warning that the country is drifting dangerously into civilian dictatorship.
Momodu, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), made the statement during an interview on The Morning Brief on Channels Television on Wednesday, as the nation prepares to commemorate Democracy Day on June 12.
“On the eve of June 12, Nigeria is virtually back to civilian dictators who don’t care how you feel or what you think. Nigerians are hungry,” he lamented.
He decried what he described as a blatant disregard for democratic values by political leaders across the board executive, legislature, and local governments and accused them of audacity and shamelessness in their treatment of the people.
“We’ve damaged this democracy. I just hope it’s not beyond repair,” Momodu said. “The effrontery of this set of politicians is totally unbelievable.”
Reflecting on the sacrifices made by pro-democracy activists during the June 12 struggle, Momodu said those who gave their lives for Nigeria’s democratic freedom would be disheartened by the current state of affairs.
“If they can see us from heaven, they would be crying,” he said solemnly.
Turning to internal crises in the PDP, Momodu accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, of hijacking the party and imposing his will with the backing of powerful figures at the top.
“It’s ridiculous that one man, who should be busy running Abuja, is dictating the direction of the PDP’s 2027 presidential ticket,” he said.
He described Wike’s influence in the party as a “coup,” claiming the former Rivers State governor has no moral right to dominate a party that gave him political relevance.
“What he’s doing is tantamount to staging a coup against the very party that made him everything he is today,” Momodu asserted.
He further criticized the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, attributing it to Wike’s refusal to exit the stage quietly.
“A major crisis of monumental dimension was orchestrated by one man. It’s unprecedented,” he said.
Momodu also took aim at President Bola Tinubu over his recent comments during the reopening of the Abuja International Conference Centre, where the President reportedly dismissed critics as “busybodies” and “bystanders.”
“Who is a bystander in his own country?” Momodu asked.
“Wike was dancing after commissioning a centre said to have cost over ₦30 billion. Right now, it feels like we have two presidents in Nigeria.”
Despite the internal turmoil in the PDP, Momodu reiterated his refusal to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), saying doing so would compromise his values.
“If I wanted to join the APC, I wouldn’t be speaking to you like this,” he declared. “My soul is out of PDP, but I cannot sit in a room where one man dictates to adults who have served Nigeria all their lives.”
He concluded with a stark warning: Nigeria is veering towards autocracy unless urgent political reforms are undertaken.
“PDP has its own problems, no doubt. But people like Wike, doing what they do with impunity, are taking us dangerously backwards,” he said.
