I’ll swim Atlantic for Tinubu if he practises what we fought for — Momodu

Publisher and former presidential aspirant Dele Momodu has declared his conditional support for President Bola Tinubu, emphasizing that his backing hinges on the administration's adherence to the democratic principles they both fought for during Nigeria's military era.

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I will ordinarily swim to the depth of the Atlantic Ocean for Tinubu if he was practising what we fought against when we were fighting the military.

Momodu articulated his stance during an interview on Arise TV, stating, "I will ordinarily swim to the depth of the Atlantic Ocean for Tinubu if he was practising what we fought against when we were fighting the military." However, he expressed a significant concern: the potential for a "civilian dictatorship" to replace the military rule they opposed. "There is no earthly reason why I would not, but I would be a bloody hypocrite if after we claimed to have changed the way of military dictatorship, we now replace it with civilian dictatorship. That’s my only problem with him," he added.

Momodu clarified that his criticisms of the President are selective and not personal. He acknowledged Tinubu's role in his own political development, stating, "He was one of those who trained me and instilled this kind of discipline that, look, you can take on the establishment and win." Momodu traced his relationship with Tinubu back over three decades to their shared pro-democracy activism in the 1990s, including their involvement with the National Democratic Coalition and Chief Moshood Abiola's presidential campaign.

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There is no earthly reason why I would not, but I would be a bloody hypocrite if after we claimed to have changed the way of military dictatorship, we now replace it with civilian dictatorship. That’s my only problem with him.

Despite their past collaboration and Momodu's continued respect for Tinubu's political acumen, Momodu has become a vocal critic of the current administration's economic and political direction since Tinubu assumed the presidency in 2023. His critique stems from a desire to ensure that the hard-won democratic gains are not undermined by a new form of authoritarianism.

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He was one of those who trained me and instilled this kind of discipline that, look, you can take on the establishment and win.