MOMODU, FANI-KAYODE, OMOKRI CLASH OVER TINUBU’S LEADERSHIP IN HEATED WAR OF WORDS
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By ‘Sefiu Ajape
A heated public row has broken out between media publisher Dele Momodu, former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode, and former presidential aide Reno Omokri over President Bola Tinubu’s leadership.
The dispute began after Momodu appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, where he compared Tinubu’s leadership style to that of former military ruler Sani Abacha—a remark that triggered strong backlash from Fani-Kayode.
Responding via his social media platforms on Tuesday, Fani-Kayode expressed disappointment in Momodu and urged him to withdraw from political commentary, describing him as “completely unhinged” and accusing him of acting based on emotion rather than logic.
“Dele’s lies, duplicity, and shameless perfidy have finally been exposed,” Fani-Kayode said.
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He further described Momodu as “badly diminished” and “a shadow of his former self.”
Defending his allegiance to Tinubu, Fani-Kayode stated, “Not only did I fight for Tinubu in 2023 during the presidential campaign, but I have remained loyal and committed to him and his cause since then, and I have no apology for that either.”
He also accused Momodu of hypocrisy, noting that despite benefiting from a long-standing relationship, he failed to support Tinubu’s presidential ambition.
“Unlike Dele, I did not benefit from him for close to 40 years… and yet refuse to support him in achieving his dream of becoming President,” he stated.
Fani-Kayode cautioned Momodu to tread carefully, warning, “He should stay in his lane, otherwise I will give him plenty to write about,” while insisting that the comparison between Tinubu and Abacha was inappropriate.
“For him to compare Tinubu to Abacha was wrong, and if he was anything like the dictator that Dele claims he is, both Dele and those he speaks for today would either be dead or in jail. He should count himself lucky that our President is a democrat and not a monster,” he added.
Momodu, however, fired back on Thursday via X, questioning Fani-Kayode’s temperament and suitability for a diplomatic role.
“He went to Cambridge University… but became an enfant terrible, fighting anyone and anything in sight. All supplications and intercessions by friends and family on his behalf have failed to cure his strange malady,” Momodu wrote.
“And this is the man President Bola Tinubu is about to unleash on Germany as an ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, for God’s sake,” he added.
Momodu also alleged that Fani-Kayode had long anticipated a political appointment and had expressed frustration over delays, saying, “Femi without power is like a fish out of water.”
In another post on Thursday, Fani-Kayode criticised Momodu for referencing his father and educational background.
“Dele Momodu has got his knickers in a twist yet again. Poor soul. He is clearly tormented. He calls me a thug, speaks about my father and family, and claims that I wanted to work with Atiku even though I left PDP in 2021.
“No matter what you say about me, I have been active in the corridors of power for over 30 years,” he said.
He went further to criticise Momodu’s career and background, stating, “All I know about you is that you were once a journalist, you followed Chief MKO Abiola around like a court jester and collected crumbs from him for much of your life.
“You became a hustler and a photographer after he was incarcerated, and you ran for President a number of years back and got only one vote, which came from your wife.
“Outside of this, I do not have your time. I have been called to serve my country once again, and that is where my focus lies. The only thing that matters is Nigeria.”
Earlier, Momodu had claimed that both Fani-Kayode and Omokri had reached out to him in an attempt to reconcile following past disagreements.
However, Omokri dismissed the claim in a post on Thursday, describing Momodu as “too immature for politics” and denying any attempt at reconciliation.
“I have never reached out to you privately for reconciliation. NEVER. If you have evidence about that, please publicise it now.
“The last time you and I had an exchange, I did not reach out to you privately to arrange a settlement or ask for publicity, as you claimed. Rather, I called you to warn you to always travel with aspirin or any other blood thinner to avoid sudden death syndrome caused by frequent air flights.
“Dele, you should focus on hyping fading Big Brother contestants and leave politics to those with a thick enough skin to take barbs and give back in good measure,” Omokri wrote.
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