A prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dele Momodu, has called on President Bola Tinubu to refrain from promoting Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Momodu responded to Wike’s criticisms directed at him during the Politics Today program on Monday, urging Tinubu to disregard any political advantages he may seek from Wike in the upcoming 2027 elections and to place him in his rightful position.
“I implore President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to consider that regardless of what you hope to achieve with Wike in 2027, he is not the type of individual you should elevate; he is not the kind of young man who should seize our collective heritage,” stated Momodu.
He asserted that the political power associated with public offices and the privileges that come with them have transformed Wike over the years.
“When an individual who was once insignificant gains power, he begins to evolve gradually and consistently,” he remarked.
“The oppressed individual only respects one person: the oppressor. Wike used to hold only one person in high regard – Rotimi Amaechi. Rotimi Amaechi has been my friend since his tenure as Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.”
Momodu noted that Wike’s transformation began when he assumed the role of local government chairman in Rivers State.
“Naturally, in Nigeria, power brings with it the allure of wealth. It can be quite destructive if one does not know how to handle it properly.”
The Publisher of Ovation Magazine recounted his close association with Wike dating back to 2022 when the then-governor of Rivers State allegedly invited him to the resource-rich Niger Delta region for media coverage of various state projects. Wike served as the governor of Rivers from May 2015 until May 2023 and was appointed as a minister in August 2023.
Momodu claimed that Wike gained from his skills and that he helped to shape his public image before their relationship deteriorated irreparably.
Once friends, Momodu and Wike’s relationship soured when both men entered the race for the PDP’s 2023 presidential nomination. They, along with others, ultimately lost to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
