Tag Archives: Dele Momodu

Rejoinder: The Second Coming of Goodluck Jonathan – By Ayantunji Benjamin Gbenro

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I have refrained myself from reading Chief Dele Momodu’s weekly articles for some months simply because of his penchant for churning out outright lies or half truth and my allergy to misinformation. I once responded to his article and the furor my response generated made me to resolve out of respect as a well brought up Yoruba to avoid his articles. My reason for doing that is what you don’t know won’t hurt you.

 

His latest article with the above title first came to my notice via comments that strayed into my TL on twitter but I never bothered to read it. I knew the penchant of our dear Chief to do PR job for the highest bidder without really being convinced about the things he writes. I cannot fault him for this because it is his job, believe me, he is very good at it. My opinion changed however due to calls I received from friends about the said article. I was forced to read it to know what could have so much infuriated a gentleman of honour to that extent. The article is riddled with misinformation as expected and I will try to correct them.

 

The article went through memory lane to justify his assertion that the Former President Goodluck Jonathan can become President again in 2019. Though I don’t have power of clairvoyance to be able to predict what will happen or not, I can say the premises for the assertion were faulty. Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe loss to Alhaji Shehu Shagari in 1979 cannot be said to be a surprise or be compared to Trump’s triumph, at the recent US election. Shagari was clearly the candidate of the military establishment, which made the two political colossi to be engaged in an apparently unwinnable fight.  Aside that, the two political juggernauts hardly have any identifiable political structure beyond their respective regions. The political dexterity of Awolowo and the philosophical mind of Azikiwe all disappear into oblivion in the face of the factors above. Not to sound disrespectful, Dr. Jonathan has neither the political dexterity of Awolowo nor the philosophical mind of Azikiwe. His electoral value even within his region and beyond is questionable. He might also be fighting against the establishment. All this factors will make Chief Momodu’s conclusion almost impossible.

 

The writer also tried to draw a parallel between the victory of Chief Kashimowo Abiola at SDP’s convention in Jos in 1993 and his subsequence victory at the national poll without recourse to factors that may help the younger ones in understanding the time in reference. First, MKO Abiola was not a political neophyte as the article portrayed. He took on Chief Awolowo in the Southwest in 1983 and his party, NPN, won some states against all odds. Whatever means that was employed, the fact is NPN won some states and MKO was an active player. MKO was also a close friend of General Ibrahim Babangida who invited him to join the Presidential race in 1993. He was one of the richest Nigerians, if not the richest, as at that time. His philanthropic gesture extended to all regions and religions. He was arguably the most visible and popular civilian of that time. All these combined to make his emergence not a surprise as portrayed. Dr. Goodluck doesn’t possess these qualities and that makes the comparison a daydream.

 

The emergence of Trump in the US can also not be said to be a surprise to some of us though we silently wished it never happened. To those that are close to me or follow my ideas, I said before the election in the US that there is a silent majority that saw Obama’s Presidency as an aberration. These silent majorities are intrinsically racist, bigoted and wanted a closed nation. These sentiments were what Trump appealed to and it worked for him. What are the national sentiments that Jonathan will appeal to? There is hunger in the land no doubt but Nigerians are not as stupid as assumed. When the chips are down, blame will be apportioned appropriately. Nigerians will remember the bazaar that preceded Buhari. The wastage of national resources. The fact that at inception of Buhari’s administration he had to bailout twenty eight states across the federation that couldn’t pay salary despite coming out of a period of record oil sales in price and volume. We will remember the infrastructural deficit despite record earnings from oil. We will remember the killing field that was Nigeria before Buhari. We will remember that there was a time that stealing was not corruption. We will remember there was a time that the measure of our national prosperity was the number of private jets that landed in Kenya when our President went for a State visit while majority at home languished in abject poverty. We will remember there was a time we were laughing stock in the comity of nations. We will remember so many things. The fact that we demand more from Buhari does not mean we forgot where we were.

 

The writer also made it to look as if this administration has been fighting Jonathan. This is far from the truth. President Goodluck Jonathan has visited Aso Rock on several occasions since he left office and it has never been reported that the meetings ended in fisticuffs with Buhari or that he was not accorded the respect due to him. Just as the visit of Trump to Obama never resulted in a brawl. Are we applauding that because it is Obama and turning blind eye to happenings in Nigeria because it is Buhari. President Buhari is an honourable man. He is trying hard to keep whatever agreement reached before handing over; else, I cannot fathom why neither President Jonathan nor his wife has been brought in for questioning despite odiferous revelations of financial recklessness against them. Many of Buhari’s supporters are not happy about this but we still accuse him of going after Jonathan. President Obama recently said he will go against the tradition of former Presidents not publicly going against incumbents if Trump decided to carry out his campaign rhetoric, but we are blind to that. Like Obama, Buhari’s loyalty should be to the nation and not an individual. If a crime is committed against the state it is his responsibility to ensure such criminals are brought to justice.

 

The writer also alluded to the economy inherited by Buhari’s administration. Which economy are we talking about? Are we talking of the economy that was borrowing over 400 billion naira to pay salaries despite record oil sale in price and volume? The economy where millions of barrels of oil was stolen daily without solution? Economy where large chunk of our arable land was taken over by insurgents? Which economy did Buhari inherit? Let’s not pretend about it Buhari inherited a carcass. It is actually a miracle that the carcass is stuttering.  He was supposed to be an undertaker.

 

The funniest of all alluded to by the writer was the placard carrying crowd in Sokoto urging Jonathan to come back as a sign of rising popularity. How much does it take to rent a crowd anywhere in Nigeria? How much will it cost the likes of Bafarawa from the over four billion naira for spiritual consultation to put up such a show? Anyway, let’s pretend we don’t know.

 

To conclude, I will like to advise three sets of people. First, I want to advise PDP to please give its party presidential ticket to former President Jonathan come 2019. It will save the party the hassles of primary election and give him ample time to campaign. Secondly, to President Goodluck Jonathan, please don’t allow bootlickers to hoodwink you into an exercise in futility. Remember the billions of dollars they pushed you to spend in 2015 that went into their private pockets. Now that you no longer have access to national treasury, they will strip you naked and you will be left to rot away. You will be sixty by next year (Happy 59th Birthday in arrears); please don’t allow the hawks to deceive you.  Finally, I want to advise President Muhammadu Buhari, you’ve done much, but more is still expected. Do all you can to get us out of recession. Kudos for the two hundred thousand youths employed under N-power but it’s just a drop in the ocean. We need massive infrastructural development. There are three sets of people criticizing you, those whose access to national till has been blocked, and those whose parents, leaders or financiers have lost access to our common patrimony and those genuinely interested in the progress of this country. Please listen for the sake of the third group and posterity.

 

Ayantunji Benjamin Gbenro (PhD) can be reached via Twitter handle @bengbenro

Dele Momodu: The second coming of Goodluck Jonathan

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Fellow Nigerians, before I get into my main gist of today, let me quickly apologise for my inability to write this column last week. Truth is I had a mental block, pure and simple. Contrary to speculations that I couldn’t write because my great heroine, Hillary Clinton, lost her election, I was just so physically and mentally fatigued because this is one year that I’ve worked so hard on every project at hand. There was no doubt that I was solely disappointed that Donald Trump won the American presidential election but I was able to adjust quickly. My darling mum had taught me about the wisdom of the ancient. You can put your all into any project but the results ultimately remain the exclusive preserve of God. Only God determines the winner or the outcome.

 

There is so much to learn from the political trajectory of Nigeria. What happened in America had happened repeatedly in our dear beloved country. I will explain in a jiffy. Who would have expected Alhaji Shehu Usman Shagari to defeat a political colossus like Chief Obafemi Awolowo? Who would have expected a Shagari to beat a political philosopher like Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe so black and blue? Who would have expected a stupendously wealthy man like Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, without any political experience to take on the likes of Baba Gana Kingibe and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and come out victorious?

 

What Abiola did in Jos at the National Convention of the Social Democratic Party in 1993, when he mesmerised and hypnotised the party chieftains was what Donald Trump did recently in the United States of America when he razzle-dazzled the Republicans and virtually hijacked their party. Trump was lucky that he and Abiola belonged in different realms and climes. Abiola was not able to realise his dreams of running government like a business but Trump is set to take power and display the wizardry he flaunted endlessly before the elections. The world is waiting to see if Trump would plunge America into the abyss or perform the miracle of turning water into wine.

 

The main reason many of us non-Americans opposed Trump so vehemently was because of his supposed bigotry and divisive rhetoric on all fronts. But on a personal note, I’m not too bothered. I have learnt my lessons. Politicians can tell any ignominious lie just to grab power. Voters can believe obvious scams and vote for artful pretenders out of foolish emotions and live to regret it. There is nothing we have not seen before. It is very obvious even this early that the millions of Americans who voted for Trump may never get a quarter of what he promised. Every man has the right to change his mind or beliefs and no one can hang him for it. Trump obviously knew what the Americans wanted to hear and knew how to sell a dead horse at a premium. That is politics. His message resonated with his core base no matter how retrogressive it sounded. As a matter of fact, it became even more attractive the crazier it sounded. Politics and religion are quite similar in that they thrive on pure faith.

 

The same Trump that appeared a rabid hater of President Barack Obama has since visited his “sworn enemy” in the White House. You would have expected both former warriors to exchange some terrible blows but far from it; they came out behaving like two newly joined love birds. Trump now says Obama is actually a nice guy. Obama also reassures a jittery nation and a confused global community that Trump would actually behave decently and that their allies have nothing to fear. The two opponents must have known that it was all a game all along while their followers actually believed and embraced the charade. One of the things I love about America is the ability of its leaders to rise above pettiness. Every leader comes in after a bitterest electioneering campaign to embrace the one who lost. I do not hear sing-songs of wasting too much energy on the past. Who would have thought Obama and Bush would become as close as they are now? American leaders are wise enough to know that we are all actors and must quit the stage after playing our assigned roles. We may have sharp differences but we must be able to calculate the cost of war-war against the price of jaw-jaw.

When tomorrow comes, I’m sure Donald Trump would have calmed down and welcome everyone in the true tradition and character of America. No American leader can ever be allowed to transfigure into an Adolf Hitler or a Benito Mussolini. Americans collectively are stronger than their leaders. This is one of the major reasons I’m not worried about Donald Trump and his tantrums. If he returns to the giddiness of his pre-election period, Americans across party lines would know what to do. That is the power of their democracy.

 

This now brings me back home. I have been reading about the rising profile of our former President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, and wish to state without equivocation that no one should rule him out of the 2019 presidential race. I first hinted this possibility about two months ago and wish to reiterate that Nigerians should prepare for the shock that awaits us. The story of Donald Trump should bring us back to our senses. Nothing is impossible. The second coming of Goodluck Jonathan may be so far-fetched or even belong in those categories of impossibilities but I wish to plead with our government and my fellow citizens not to rule it out. As one of those who made our modest and humble contributions to the coming of this Buhari government, I’m pleading with trepidation.

 

Jonathan’s popularity is rising not because of anything he has done to atone the sins that must have led to his waterloo but as a result of what our change government has failed or refused to do. The obsession of our government with going all out after Jonathan is the main reason the Otuoke man is beginning to smell like roses after the odoriferous position he landed himself last week. Only if our government had succeeded in maintaining the economy it met, Nigerians would have been ready to enter fire with Buhari. But there are just too many unresolved problems and challenges. The excuses that Jonathan and company left this peculiar mess behind has refused to fly. The groans might not be loud enough to reverberate all the way to the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, as of now, but trust me it may become deafening, sooner than later. I do not care if men and women of power dismiss my submission with a wave of the hand but they should mark my word, there is a thickening conspiracy in the clouds. It would be a shame if we inadvertently play into the hands of those hovering and ready to pounce on Buhari.

 

I read about “persecution complex” long ago and I understand how it works. If you beat your own child so ruthlessly as if you want to kill him, the tilt of public opinion would always go against you. Many would wonder why you want to kill your own child. In our anger, let us pick our fights. There is too much tension in the land. I would be delighted if anyone could educate and convince me that Nigeria has gained much more than we’ve lost to this war of attrition. If we haven’t, we may need to retrace our steps urgently.

 

The BBC reported on Friday how Jonathan caused a stir in Sokoto State during his visit to the state to pay his respects to Ibrahim Dasuki, the late former Sultan of Sokoto. According to the report, Jonathan was received by a large crowd of admirers, some holding banners bearing the words “Come Back Baba Jonathan”. The same voices that chanted “Sai Baba” and “Jonathan Must Go” are now fiddling with the tunes of the possibility of a Jonathan to stage a comeback. Here lies the irony of political triumph and the paradox of high expectations.

 

The euphoria and momentum that saw the exit of Jonathan and the emergence of the Buhari change administration has since begun to wane following the inability of the new government to hit the ground running with the tenacity of a government in a hurry!

 

There are many who believe that the poor management of the ensuing economic recession didn’t help matters. Suddenly, Nigerians who had high hopes and voted massively for change are now caught in a limbo between confusion and uncertainty. As it stands today, the average Nigerian is confronted with the reality of an economic recession they never planned for; a situation they did not experience under the Jonathan administration and under previous governments.

 

Many of President Buhari’s supporters are worried that the humongous goodwill that engineered the Buhari change mantra is now being frittered away at the speed of light. The unfolding plot has now thrown up former President Jonathan as a new protagonist in Nigeria’s theatre of the absurd. For many of us who are ardent students of history, we have since learnt that nothing is impossible in the game called politics. Will history repeat itself again? Time is pregnant with answers!

NAPTIP Quizzes Davido Over Alleged Baby Abduction

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23-yr-old pop star, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, on Wednesday visited the Lagos State office of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), over the ongoing child rift with his baby mama, Mrs. Sophia Momodu.

 
According to sources at NAPTIP, Davido reportedly arrived at the agency at 11:07am.

 
It was learnt that his statement on the face-off over the custody of the relationship between him and the estranged mother of his daughter, Sophia, was taken by NAPTIP.

 
The whole drama started after Sophia who is a cousin of popular journalist, Dele Momodu, wrote a letter of petition against the musician through her lawyer, Mr. Gbolaga Ajayi.
Ajayi while seeking protection for the rights of his client, petitioned the NAPTIP as the case borders on child abduction and trafficking.

 
Recall that Davido’s father, Dr. Deji Adeleke and Momodu, paid an earlier visit to the NAPTIP office on Monday for a meeting.

 
However, Dr. Adeleke was said to have stormed out of the meeting barely 30 minutes after it started.

 

 

Credit : Vanguard

Dele Momodu Speaks Up On Davido’s Baby Saga

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Dele Momodu on his Instagram page explains his role in Davido’s baby saga. Read his side of the story below:

“In september 2015, I got a call from Dr. Adedeji Adeleke, a long time friend, telling me his son had fathered a baby girl with my cousin, Sophia Momodu. I rejoiced with him as any reasonable soul will do. He apologised that he had not called all along because he wasn’t sure if Sophie’s baby was going to turn out a fake one like that of two others who had turned up at his doorstep.

But mercifully, according to Dr. Adeleke, Sophie’s baby passed the DNA test by over 98 per cent and he was elated. I congratulated him again as proud grandfather. He said he would like to meet me with Sophie since Sophie’s dad, Uncle Jibola Momodu, passed on years ago and Sophie mentioned me as her cousin.

I had known about Sophie’s baby through her first cousin Ruth Abraham and had called to congratulate her. I was happy when she sent me pictures of the baby and other romantic pictures with David Adeleke, aka Davido.

But I never contacted David’s dad deliberately so as not to create the impression of begging for marriage. Where we come from, it is the man who approaches the lady’s family to plead to be allowed to marry into the family.

Prior to this phone call from Dr. Adeleke, on the 11th July, 2015, Sophie had narrated to me how she was tricked to Coco Adeleke’s house with her baby, Imade Aurora Adeleke. After getting to the house on Baderinwa Alabi Street, Lekki Phase I, Lagos, her baby was forcefully taken from her and she was thrown out of the premises with the threat that she would be decisively dealt with if she even bothered to return there.

There were armed policemen in the premises and to avoid what could have been a messy encounter, instinct prevailed on her to make her leave her breast suckling baby behind, with so much pain in her heart. By daybreak on the next day, Sophie was again at Coco Adeleke’s house to take her baby, but she was prevented by armed policemen from gaining access into the house. She was again threatened and warned never to return for the child.

Despite the pain and trauma my cousin was made to undergo, I restrained myself from getting directly involved in the matter and appealed to her to stay calm and take it easy with the Adeleke’s.

But after the phone call from Dr. Adeleke, precisely on September 10, 2015, I picked up Sophie and her mum and drove to Dr. Adeleke’s home in Lekki, Lagos. All the while, I had waited patiently to meet Dr. Adeleke with questions probing for answers.

Dr. Adeleke invited two of his close friends to the meeting namely, His Majesty Oba Adedokun Abolarin and Mr. Wale Adeeyo. We went into lengthy discussions. His daughter Coco had brought in the little baby and both attended the meeting.

Dr. Adeleke explained why it took some time to call me and I said I understood. Dr. Adeleke said the baby was discovered to have traces of marijuana in her during medical test and said he believed Sophie and David were smokers and he needed to protect the child from two irresponsible parents, as he described them.

He told the gathering that the baby would be under temporary custody and observation. He directed that Sophie would come to his house every Sunday to see her baby. Our family agreed. He promised to pay Sophie a monthly upkeep. We thanked him for his kindness. He promised to buy her a car. We were grateful for his generosity.

Sophie said she got the monthly upkeep but never got the car and that she prefers to have her baby back and the Adelekes can keep their money.

I called Dr. Adeleke and he said I should allay her fears. I pleaded again for patience. I was shocked when Sophie called me desperately and said her daughter was being taken to Dubai by Coco. I immediately called Coco and she said she was taking the baby for intensive medicals and I wondered how she would pass through the airport without the consent of Sophie but she actually did and even sent me pictures from Dubai. I played it cool and encouraged Sophie to calm down.

Sophie became withdrawn and extremely saddened. The situation went from bad to worse. She and David became aggressive enemies. At a point, David sent messages to Sophie and using the ‘f’ word against me. His father was shocked and called him to apologise which he did and I accepted and even told him how much I love him.

The worst came when my wife came from London and went with Sophie to check on the baby at Coco’s house and they literally walked them out of their house. My wife called and I called Dr. Adeleke who said they should go to his house and wait for him.

Their meeting did not go well because my wife asked when the baby would be returned to her mum and Dr. Adeleke went into the same old story of marijuana abuse and Sophie said she was ready for a test which Dr. Adeleke wasn’t interested in. Dr. Adeleke explained why the car had not been bought and my wife told him the baby was the issue and not the car. Dr. Adeleke didn’t like the sound of this but it was reaching a point that some truth needed to be told that a baby cannot be bought with money.

I flew to Nigeria on December 28 after Sophie told me the Adelekes were travelling to Dubai with her baby without her consent again. As soon as I landed, I called Uncle Wale Adeeyo, a close confidant of Dr. Adeleke, and expressed our displeasure at the way Sophie was being treated and he promised to speak to Dr. Adeleke. When he came back to me he didn’t sound too positive. We spoke several times and nothing tangible came out of his supposed intervention.

I called Oba Dokun Abolarin but he was busy at a wedding in Ibadan. I then called Uncle Wale again and told him Sophie has plans to stop the trip on the knowledge that David has collected an American passport for the baby and the rumour that the baby was being abducted to America. I pleaded that we should avoid a confrontation.

I headed to the airport to alert the airport authorities including immigration and Emirates. As predicted, the Adelekes arrived the airport with the baby where Immigration had laid in wait for them. Coco came forward and was asked who the mother of the baby was and she claimed ownership and her passport and that of the baby were taken away by immigration.

Her dad was alerted and he came to the office of the Comptroller with others to try and rescue the passports but the Immigration stood their grounds. I saw him making frantic calls but he gave up after the flight departed.

He repeated the same boast that no one could ever take the baby from him and I told him to stop talking like God. No one likes a fight but we’ve been treated shabbily and had to stop the charade. We could not be intimidated and everyone at the airport expressed shock and horror at such a brazen attempt to export a human being only seven month old without the mother.

We thank the officers who rescued us from a powerful family. We are always for peace, justice and equity. No one threatened the Adelekes with any expose unless they are using reversed psychology.

Personally, I’m not a junk writer and would never descend so low to abuse those permanently connected to us through an innocent baby. We love the baby like they do.”

Credit: Punch

Diezani’s Lawyer Implies Dele Momodu’s Interview Was For Private Consumption, Says Family Is Upset

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Oscar Onwudiwe, Mrs. Alison-Madueke’s Nigerian lawyer, in an interview with SaharaReporters, asserted that the ex-minister never intended or authorized anything from her meeting with Dele Momodu to be broadcast to the public.

According to Mr. Onwudiwe’s account, Mr. Momodu, publisher of The Boss magazine, “met (with Diezani) on a personal visit with the family.” He added that Mr. Momodu and the family had enjoyed a good relationship in the past.

Even so, Mr. Onwudiwe insisted that no permission was ever granted to have Mrs. Alison-Madueke’s photo taken. He stated that the ex-minister’s family became “very upset” about what has transpired after the meeting between Mr. Momodu and the former minister. The lawyer disclosed that Mrs. Alison-Madueke and her family were not ready for her to make public statements yet.

When asked why Mrs. Alison-Madueke was looking into the camera, if she did not did not give permission to have her photo taken, Mr. Onwudiwe was unable to provide an answer.

Credit: SaharaReporters
 

Dele Momodu Must Be The Next Ooni Of Ife… Nigerian Pastor Warns

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A Nigerian pastor based in Ghana simply known as Pastor Paul but originally from Imo State, Nigeria has said Dele Momodu, the founder of Ovation Magazine, must be the next Ooni of Ife.

Saying he got the prophecy from God, the pastor warned that if Momodu was not installed as the next Ooni, there would be bloodshed in the country.

Though there have been mixed reactions to this on social media, the good news is however that Dele Momodu himself does not believe the pastor and has openly called it a MYSTERY.

Dele Momodu: Good bye, our dear Kabiyesi

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Fellow Nigerians, let me confess that my trip to the ancient city of Ife last Thursday was a most harrowing experience. As a matter of fact, the drive itself was very smooth devoid of the usual hurly-burly on that notorious Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. We set forth on our journey around noon not knowing what to expect along the way. Road travel in Nigeria has defied common logic. You require methods to the malfeasance and madness of our dare-devil drivers. We drove all the way to Ibadan without any major drama of bottlenecks and we thanked God for journey mercies.

The second leg of our journey was from Ibadan to Ile-Ife. We tried to navigate our way from the ubiquitous gridlock around Iwo Road and meandered our way through the backstreet towards the Ibadan Airport to link up the Ife Road without much ado. The trouble came where we least expected. As we approached the Asejire Dam which used to be one of my favourite sights as a kid, we suddenly noticed a logjam ahead. Many passengers had abandoned their vehicles to assemble on the Asejire Bridge like locusts. We were momentarily alarmed wondering what had gone wrong on this usually peaceful stretch.

Alas, a vehicle which I suspected to be a public transport had sped and obviously somersaulted into the rocky river. We saw a deluge of Federal Road Safety Corps operatives struggling hard with what looked like a rescue mission as well as trying to clear the crowd of onlookers for easy passage of travellers like us. I actually seemed to appreciate their passionate dedication to the work of saving lives. Anyway, we prayed for survivors to emerge from that cataclysmic dive and continued on our voyage.

We arrived Ile-Ife with some anxiety because we didn’t know what to expect. Rumour had developed wings like bushfire in harmattan about a certain palace errand of The Ooni of Ife who must mandatorily accompany him on his journey to the great beyond by being buried alive with the King. Many of my Ghanaian friends had called to ask me about this odoriferous news about the disappearance of The Ooni’s Abobaku.

All efforts to explain the falsity of those claims were rebuffed by doubting Thomases. I was forced to tweet and explain that only two kings reigned in the last 85 years in Ile-Ife namely, Oba Adesoji Tadeniawo Aderemi and Oba Okunade Adele Sijuwade Olubuse II. I knew when Oba Aderemi passed on and there was no one buried with him. It is impossible for a living human being to be buried with a king at this time and age and I can say authoritatively that the law abiding Ife Chiefs will never commit such carnivorous murder.

We drove through the famous Lagere Road and headed towards the Ife Palace and met a desolate town in the mourning process of their powerful king. It was almost surreal. We eventually got to the palace gate where we encountered several barricades and some youths who claimed they were Oro cultists. They lurched forward menacingly as if to pounce on us. Then we heard some shrieking chants. We stopped and our security escorts tried to bring the riotous situation under control. I think one of the guys recognised the occupants of the Ovation-branded car and shouted “it is Ovation, Dele Momodu is a son of Ife, he is our own and free to drive anywhere!” I felt humbled and we gave them something for their efforts.

We had been misinformed by someone that the Crown Prince Adetokunbo Sijuwade and the wives of the departed monarch were still ensconced somewhere in the palace of Oduduwa, the progenitor of the Yoruba race. The boys directed us on how to enter the palace.

The gates were firmly locked but the second one swung open as our convoy approached snakelike. As we entered the palace proper, we experienced a certain eerie feeling. It was apparent something had gone desperately wrong. The place had lost its original allure and glamour. I thought we had mistakenly entered Fagunwa’s phantasmagorical forests. We continued towards the inner gates leading to The Ooni’s residences. We saw freshly-cut trees on the ground meant to block any intruder and nosey-parker. The place was virtually empty.

I wondered why we were allowed to drive inside the palace when there was no soul except a few Chiefs straddled in one corner performing their mandatory rites or whatever it was. I felt the urge to get out of that extra-terrestrial space as fast as possible. After all the hullabaloo of Abobaku, what if some human heads were needed? Could it possibly mean a few of us could be kidnapped or just vamoose into rarefied air without a trace in this vast world? I marvelled at the audacity that ever propelled us in that direction in the first instance but I felt assured because I was in the company of Princes and Princesses, including Prince Adedamola Aderemi, and Oro never affects them.. I was nevertheless a bit apprehensive but still excited about the potentially dangerous adventure.

We eventually turned around and left the palace. Memories of years gone by gushed back and took over my brains. So this is the end of another era, I asked rhetorically. I couldn’t imagine I will never visit Kabiyesi, The Ooni, in that massive sprawling palace again. Nothing destroys than death. The finality of it is most cruelly annoying. We then drove to a few places for some quick meetings.

Eventually, we went to visit Prince Adetokunbo Sijuwade in their private home. The place was buzzling with activities in preparation for the interdenominational service that took place yesterday. We met two of the royal wives, Olori Ladun and Olori Odunayo. I saw many Sijuwade Princes and Princesses who had flown in to Nigeria from different parts of the universe. The new head of the family was completely knackered. The responsibilities on his shoulders are incredibly heavy.

While I was in the house with my friends, I got a call from the Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola who had been duly informed by Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi of my presence in our State. He was in his usual upbeat mood and he apologised that he won’t be able to host me as he had some prior engagements to deal with. I thanked him for the call and drove to the home of Olori Morisola Sijuwade, The Ooni’s most senior wife. She expressed delight at seeing us come around to honour her husband. We must have left Ife after 10pm and headed to Osogbo where we passed the night.

We checked into our hotel and agreed to meet at about 7am for breakfast. I managed to catch some sleep after working till 3am. By 6am, it was time to get ready. We gathered ourselves in about six cars and drove to Ife and arrived the venue in Enuwa, at about 10am. The Area Boys sprang on us and skilfully with two mobile phones from my friends while I managed to escape those rascals.

The Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo personally attended and this added some colour to the event. It was nice seeing Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, Major General Adeyinka Adebayo, Rear Admiral Akin Aduwo, Lt. General Alani Akinrinade, Prince Ayo Aderemi, Mrs Tola Oyediran and her sister, Dr Mrs Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu (both represented the Awolowo family), Prince Adedamola Aderemi (who has spent ample time with the Sijuwades right from London to Lagos), Senator Bamigbetan, Senator Iyiola Omisore, Senator Babajide Omoworare, The Secretary to the State Government of Osun and so many others.

After visiting a few places including the old Buka of the Obafemi Awolowo University where we dealt ruthlessly with some piping hot amala and goat meat, we went to spend some time again with Prince Adetokunbo and the Oloris. Thereafter, I led the family in a short prayer and it became obvious I’m inching closer to my calling as a Pastor as I prophesied at Pastor Tunde Bakare’s 60th birthday celebration.

What next, I asked as we drove out of the compound. The Ife kingmakers don’t usually waste time in selecting their new king. I expect them to name one of the contenders in the next few weeks. The process is not going to be simple as there seems to be a motley crowd this time around. Ile-Ife is blessed with many successful and accomplished Princes who may be qualified.

I project that the Kingmakers will ask ruling house three out of the four ruling houses to present their candidates, namely, Osinkola, Giesi and Lafogido. The Ogboru ruling house which presented the last Ooni, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, will not now be asked to present a candidate. This follows the precedent when Osinkola ruling house was not asked to present a candidate when Oba Adesoji Aderemi Atobatele I joined his ancestors, thus paving the way for Ooni Sijuwade to be crowned.

According to Ife custom and tradition there is no order of rotation in the presentation of candidates by the respective ruling houses. From the twentieth century to date, the last five Ooni’s have come from three not four ruling Houses:

(a) Olubuse I from Ogboru – 1894 to 1909
(b) Adekola from Osinkola – 1910 to 1910
(c) Ademiluyi Ajagun from Lafogido – 1910 – 1930
(d) Aderemi Atobatele from Osinkola – 1930 – 1980
(e) Sijuwade Olubuse II from Ogboru – 1980 to 2015.

Prior to these Obas above who reigned in the 20th century, Lafogiddo had produced 7 Oonis, Osinklola had produced 3, Giesi had produced 6 and Ogboru had produced 2.

Attempts may have been made in the past between 1957 and 1979 to establish an order of rotation but these failed to fly and rotation was jettisoned by the Kingmakers in the one and only exercise in 1980.

There are already indications that virtually all the eligible ruling houses will present their candidates after a rigorous screening exercise to determine eligibility by those houses. Some of the criteria they will utilise are whether the candidate is truly a prince from that particular ruling house, including whether the claimed royalty was bestowed honorarily on the candidate’s ancestor or the aspirant is descended from a male lineage. Similarly, tradition forbids an Ooni to have a living father and, patent disability or deformity is also a ground for exclusion.

The mood in Ile-Ife seems to favour younger candidates since the last two Ooni’s ascended the throne at the ages of 40 and 50 respectively. I predict therefore that nobody above 60 will be considered suitable by the Kingmakers.
There are no clear contenders coming out for different reasons. Firstly, a few of them wished to pay deference to the memory of Oba Sijuwade and did not feel that it was decorous to press a claim until his funeral was concluded. Secondly, some are in public service and will not want to risk their jobs.

Thirdly, the financial obligations are usually quite significant and this has been the practice since time immemorial or, at least, since the passing of Ooni Ojigidiri as Oba Adesoji Aderemi wrote in his letter of July 28 1930 to The Resident of Oyo Province when laying his claim to the throne and; Fourthly, No claimant can say that he was anointed or blessed by the previous Ooni as most of the present contenders were close to Ooni Sijuwade in one way or the other.

Once the ruling houses have concluded their screening they ask the princely gladiators whether they are able to agree amongst themselves so that the house can present one common candidate. If there is no agreement then the ruling house is compelled to forward the names of all those interested in vying for the stool to the kingmakers.

In Ife, there are six primary kingmakers who must act in consultation with the other secondary kingmakers before an Ooni is elected. There are 8 Iharefe Chiefs on the Right headed by Obalufe (or Orunto as he is otherwise known) and 8 Modewa chiefs on the Left headed by Lowa. The Iharefe are the civil chiefs including the war chief, whilst the Modewas are the Palace courtiers. Three of the Iharefes namely, Obalufe, Obalaye and Ejio, form one half of the primary kingmakers whilst the remaining three come from the Modewa side and are namely, Lowa, Jaran and Agoro.

Prior to the selection by the six primary kingmakers, the Araba of Ife is requested by them to consult Ifa and determine the candidates that are worthy for consideration for the Title. Once the Araba puts forward those worthy of consideration, the 6 primary kingmakers make their choice after consulting with their remaining colleagues.

Thereafter the chosen person’s name is sent to the Governor who must appoint that person as the Ooni. It is noteworthy that the kingmakers in Ife present only one person to the Governor as their choice of Ooni and the Governor therefore has little choice but to honour the selection of the kingmakers.

Dele Momodu is a Nigerian journalist, publisher, and former presidential aspirant. He tweets from @delemomodu. This article is culled from ThisDay. 

Photos: Aisha Falode’s Daughter Launches Book On Late Brother “Gift of Grace”

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Aisha Falode’s daughter, Toluwalese today released a book she titled Gift of Grace about the gruesome murder of her brother, Toba Falode who was killed last year in Dubai. It was such a touching event, but above all God gave them the grace to pull through. I pray He will keep giving them the grace. The event held at Wheatbaker and Dele Momodu who was only yesterday in London made it back for the event. More pics below…

I Know What I’m Doing, Pres. Buhari Tells Dele Momodu

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Prominent magazine publisher and former presidential aspirant, Dele Momodu, was at the State House, Abuja, on Wednesday for talks with President Muhammadu Buhari, and explained his recent outburst against the President’s style of governance.

A strong supporter of Buhari during the presidential campaigns, Momodu recently wrote a widely publicized, scathing criticism of the President’s actions and inaction since assuming office.

Emerging from the meeting with the President, Momodu told journalists that Buhari invited him for a chat and expressed appreciation of the roles of writers, columnists and journalists like him in society.

On his criticism of Buhari as being too slow since assuming office, the publisher of Ovation magazine said: “You know on social media, people can post anything.

“I actually wrote him a memo and one of the things I told him was that the job of a columnist is that of an adviser who is not paid.

“In fact, journalists do more work than those paid to advise the President, and that it is good to listen.

“And I know he reads voraciously and that was one of reasons he was able to invite me because I wrote what I called a desperate memo to President Buhari.

“Of course, people slanted it, some people said maybe we are no longer supporting him and all that, but if you like someone you must be able to tell him the truth at all times.

“What I have realised in so many years of interacting with people in government is that once you get to power, people stop telling you the truth, they tell you only what they think you want to hear.

“And I’m happy he said we should argue with him, tell him the truth, if things are going wrong and we should not be afraid of telling the truth.

“And for a man who has been maligned for so many years that he doesn’t like the press, it is a welcome development that he is able to reach out to members of Fourth Estate.”

The President responded that he was sure of what he was doing, said Momodu, who said Buhari encouraged him to continue to constructively argue with the powers that be and point out any wrongdoings to him.

According to Momodu: “We discussed different issues affecting our country and I gave him my own idea as a publisher, journalist, a columnist and the way forward for Nigeria.

“We spoke about security and the efforts he is making; we spoke about anti-corruption crusade and I must say, today, he reassured me that not only does he know what he is doing, he is determined to make Nigeria work.”

He said the President laughed and found his theory interesting when he called for having more women in government as part of efforts to fight corruption.

“I said women must be involved in the governance of Nigeria, and he looked at me. I said, ‘Sir, women cannot marry two husbands but a man can have four wives and 10 concubines.’ He laughed so much and almost choked.

“I said, ‘So, when you talk about corruption, the needs of women are not as big as that of men,’ and he said that was a very interesting theory.”

Source: Daily Independent

Buhari: Let Dele Momodu Lead The Tourism Sector By Ayo Arannilewa

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As part of on-going effort to make the incoming government of President-elect Mohammadu Buhari succeed to the benefit of all Nigerians. I’m suggesting a familiar ground yet to be fully broken and a competent individual with the ability to successfully break the ground if hired by the government.

My interest in Nigeria tourism sector is based on knowledge in the hospitality industry and five (eventful) years experience of working as Sales Support Advisor with one of the largest leisure, travel and tourism company in the world, which owns travel agencies, hotels, airlines, cruise ships and retail stores.

Nigeria is blessed with huge and untapped tourism potentials that can be a major revenue generation base for the economy apart from oil.

The annual international tourist arrival (people travelling around the world) in 2014 was over 1.1 billion with export earnings higher than $1.4 trillion in 2013. The whole of Africa could only grab a negligible little more than 56 million (of 1.1 billion). Top ten destinations, Morocco, South Africa, Tunisia, Algeria, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, Swaziland and Tanzania (Egypt is classified under Middle East in UNWTO scheme) recorded more than 36.6 million (out of 56 million). While Nigeria with all her natural endowment, cultural diversity and population strength, could only get a fraction of the remaining less than 19.4 million tourists (trailing far behind Cape Verde,Zanzibar,Rwanda,Botswana,Namibia and Gambia) with little or nothing to show in revenue.

What attractions are in other countries that are not in Nigeria with rich cultural and historical background? There are 7,000 tourism sites across the country according to the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC). Despite the huge tourism potential, Nigeria is not where it should be in tourism business as a result of proven lack of seriousness at developing the sector due to perennial policy somersault, lack of knowledge in tourism business, and inability to package clear-cut tourism products.

This is where the creative ability of a global brand builder and a world traveller like Basorun Ayobamidele Momodu is highly required.

Is Dele Momodu the only man (out of 170 million Nigerians) with the ability to successfully lead the Nigeria’s tourism industry and chart a way forward for the industry? The answer is an emphatic NO.

Dele Momodu happens to be a worthy son of Africa and super brand builder whose name readily comes to mind based on a track record of showcasing the best of Africa by promoting and dishing out the most glamorous pictures of the lifestyles of the rich and famous Africans through his Ovation International magazine. Having attended many social and cultural events in every continent of the world, Dele Momodu has become a global citizen and friend of many nations. He’s a media and entertainment icon. A man no business has ever failed in his hands.

Tourism is a major source of economic diversification for many countries. Jamaica is making so much revenue from Jammin’ in Jamaica and Bob Marley Tour. How much revenue is Nigeria making from Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s tour? Obudu Cattle Ranch is still one of the best resorts in Africa. The clean beaches in Lagos and Niger Delta are quite unique. The Ikogosi Warm Spring stands out. The natural water falls are breathtaking. The Borgu, Falgore, Kashimbila, Ohosu and Zugurma game reserves are world class. The Mambilla Plateau is outstanding. The unique festivals from Durbar, Argungu, Eyo, Osun Oshogbo, Olosunta in Ikere-Ekiti, Ogun (god’s of iron) in Ondo, Calabar Carnival, Lagos Carnival and Bayelsa international Jazz Festival. To mention but a few. The Badagry slave route among other sites, monument and other relics of slavery are remarkable sites of historical importance. All these and many more are worth packaging with the global tourist’s dollar in mind.

Many have decried the insecurity in some parts of the country caused by negligence of government, but countries that have more serious security challenges such as Mexico, Jamaica, South Africa, Egypt, Brazil, India, Tanzania and Kenya still receive millions of tourists from across the world.

World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai when opening the Spain Global Tourism Forum in Madrid said “Over the past years, tourism has proven to be a surprisingly strong and resilient economic activity and a fundamental contributor to the economic recovery by generating billions of dollars in exports and creating millions of jobs. This has been true for destinations all around the world, but particularly for Europe, as the region struggles to consolidate its way out of one of the worst economic periods in its history.

The incoming government as well as the private sector operators must see tourism as a catalyst for employment and infrastructural development. The government must take the right steps beyond the usual cheap talk and wasteful cosmetic tourism campaigns by hiring a creative and competent hand with proven integrity and unblemished name to lead the tourism industry. The crash in oil prices and its toll on public expenditure has once again set up Nigeria’s tourist sites as beautiful brides.

Ayo Arannilewa is a public affairs commentator. Ayo can be reached at aadeayo@yahoo.com

Views expressed are solely that of author and does not represent views of www.omojuwa.com nor its associates

I Support Buhari Because We Have Tried Jonathan With Little Or No Result – Dele Momodu

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Nigeria’s leading publisher, Dele Momodu was recently interviewed at his London home by the publisher of City People Magazine, Seye Kehinde, where he explained why he is supporting Buhari and why Nigerians should give APC a chance and not PDP again.

Some pro-Jonathan have accused you of being in favour of Buhari. Why did you take sides?

Simple. I have always been a member of opposition. So, naturally I will support opposition. But I am not a card carrying member of APC. And I am not in PDP. But my sympathy goes towards opposition. Continue…

Number two is the realisation after my own contest I now understand better the factors that can affect Nigeria either positively or negatively. I believe PDP, having been there for 16 years, and not much to show for it, but with plenty of money gone down the drain, we should be able to tell them that we can change them when they underperform. So it’s not just about liking Buhari.

In my own case I am supporting Buhari because I have tried Jonathan, I have seen that he has been there for so many and he should have made better impact, though his people will have us believe he is the best President Nigeria ever had. I won’t argue about that. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I see Buhari as a rallying point at this moment. Nigeria needs a father figure. I didn’t believe a day will come that I will campaign for Buhari. We all use to see him as one of the dictators who ruled Nigeria in those days.

But then, the reality on ground is that we have only 2 options between Jonathan and Buhari and since I am a member of opposition so who ever they bring in opposition so who ever they bring in opposition I must accept.

I also don’t believe Buhari is so bad that I can’t accept him. Despite whatever you want to say about him, I think he is a very disciplined man. I think he is a man that out of the respect we have for him and the trust that people have for him we would be able to look up to him to give us a new direction. I support Buhari and I will continue to support him. I am a volunteer. I hope he will win.

The Pastors and the Rest of Us By Dele Momodu

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Fellow Nigerians, let me confess that I have a soft spot for men of God, especially Pastors. The reason can’t be difficult to fathom. I’m not just a Christian; I had the great privilege of being born by my heavily spiritual mum and dad in an Aladura church in Ile-Ife. That was in the good old days when men and women truly served God and prayed more than a praying mantis. We never doubted the efficacy of prayers or the supremacy of the almighty. We lived side by side with Muslims, animists, atheists and sometimes worshipped with them or indeed, practised whatever we chose to practice. That was your own business.

We celebrated every festival. We even sometimes chose to fast during Ramadan. For us, it was all fun, sitting down in the evenings, under the stars or moonlight, breaking fast with our Islamic neighbours. Or waking up in the early hours to partake in feast called Saari. Wow, my mouth and tongue are salivating together as I go through this process of recollection. We attended the same schools with the children of the privilegentsia. The only difference was that a few of them rode to school in chauffeur-driven cars, even convertible Chevrolets and Phantom Rolls Royces like Ooni Aderemi’s children and grand children, while most of us ‘rode’ on our legs.  But it wasn’t really a big deal as we lived happily as one.

A brief recital of my family’s religious origin is even worth repeating here and now. My paternal grandparents were Muslims from Ihievbe village, in the present day Edo State, Owan East Local Government. I can’t remember ever meeting my paternal grandmother but I knew my paternal grandfather as Baba Onirungbon Yeuke (a character from one of D. O. Fagunwa’s novels) because he had that long and curly beard like a Rastafarian. He was gentle and meek and prayed to Allah endlessly.

I often wonder how my father migrated from our village and meandered his way all the way to Ile-Ife where he met my beautiful mum, fell in love and got married. It is even stranger to me how a son of such a devout Muslim navigated himself from the Islamic faith to converting to Christianity. Not just that, he picked up the name of Jacob and my eldest brother picked up the name Simeon while I was given the name Joseph at birth as if to cement the nature of my birth and foretell my future as someone who would make certain forecasts as a journalist.

The essence of my preamble is to rhapsodise about how beautiful and tolerant life was in those wonderful old days before we lost our innocence in recent times.  It is strange how things have changed since then. I think the churches in the bid to catch the new generation over-funkyfied the way we now worship. Religion has almost become an arm and leg of showbiz. And the Pastors have lost control in this era of totalitarian freedom.  Beyond that, there are too many challenges confronting our youths today. The first is the collapse of education. The second is the lack of jobs even if you manage to graduate from one of our troublesome institutions. The third is lack of social welfare. The fourth is lack of hope in the foreseeable future. The last but not the least of the debilitating factors is lack of parental care and attention.

To further compound the volatility of our combustive situation, our churches have misread and misjudged these children of hate and anger who attend services with their attention elsewhere. What I’m trying to hint at and explain is that our men of God must wake up to the shocking realities of the 21st century. These youths have acquired a massive power via information technology. Indeed it is almost akin to a god they worship. Many of them have become so paranoid about life and our society so much that they see virtually everyone as the enemy who contributed to their misery and disillusionment.

These youths can be divided into three categories. The first are those who have managed to survive against all odds and are trudging on with the hope of a greater tomorrow. The second are those acutely frustrated who have given up on society as it is and believe they can cause a peaceful or bloody revolution in the land. This category breaks into two parts; those who prefer the subtle approach and would encourage the democratic process and those who feel the whole system should come all tumbling down.  The last are those with inordinate ambition who feel they can only make it in life by being errand boys to every government in power. Their mission is to survive any government in power and preserve the status quo with the hope of picking up some crumbs, or even power itself, sooner or later.

To exacerbate matters, the long and short of our current dilemma is that our politicians have succeeded in tearing our social fabric apart using the instrumentality of religion. What I find most bizarre is the present game of trading ridiculous religious propaganda. The Christian politician tells us to beware of Muslims who may choose to Islamise Nigeria. The Muslim tells us to avoid Christians who are likely to Christianise the Northern Muslims. For God’s sake why are we doing this to ourselves at this time and age when smaller and less prosperous nations are doing great things devoid of religious wranglings.

Our proclivity for matters of faith seems to have assumed the most dangerous dimension in the course of campaigning for the February 2015 Presidential elections. The visit of our President to Bishop David Oyedepo’s church last Sunday was the climax of it for me. Since I joined Twitter and became addicted to it, I doubt if I’ve ever witnessed the torrents of attacks that came out of that innocuous visit. A new coinage THE GATE OF HELL went viral because it was reported by God knows who that the famous Bishop rebuked those opposed to the second term ambition of Mr President, promising to banish them to the Gate of Hell and lock them in. Till this day, I have searched fruitlessly for any such statement and found none.

I have endeavoured to watch the video of the Presidential visit which was mercifully uploaded on YouTube and nothing of the sort emanated from the Bishop unless the full footage had been cleverly edited which I doubt. I’m one of those converts to Buharism but I will never support anything that would further divide our nation. I’ve had only two encounters with Bishop Oyedepo and he left me in awe of him on both occasions. The first was a Virgin Atlantic flight to London many years back and he sat next to me and we chatted like we were old buddies. I was impressed with his simplicity and candour.

The last time I saw him was about three years ago in Ghana at the opening of Jimoh Ibrahim’s Energy Bank. As soon as I walked into the board room and greeted everyone, I noticed that Bishop Oyedepo and everyone in the office remained standing and I said to him, “Daddy, you can’t stand up for me sir”, to which he replied, “I have to stand up for our future President.” I was truly humbled by such humility. Therefore, I’m always sad to read all those vicious attacks on this great man of God.

I have read many reports about his fabulous wealth, his private jets, his expensive universities, etcetera, and concluded that the Bishop is a victim of success. Chief MKO Abiola had a way of putting it succinctly: the bigger the head, the bigger the headache.  I don’t know of anyone who would tell the number one citizen of Nigeria not to attend his church for fear of a political backlash. And if the President comes, his duty is to bless the august visitor. Even our Lord Jesus Christ did not discriminate against anyone.

What has happened is that many of our young folks want to know where our Pastors stand today and that can’t be an easy task. They want to know if our respected clergymen feel what the rest of society feels. This is the basis of all this agitation.

In fact, I don’t envy our Daddy G O, Pastor E. A Adeboye  of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. Many of these young guys have been asking how neutral can he be now that a senior respected Pastor under his mentorship, Professor Yemi Osinbajo SAN is now the Vice Presidential candidate of APC. The dilemma is further compounded by the fact that the President enjoys a warm relationship with Pastor Adeboye. It is not going to be easy but God will guide His men aright. They will still pray for everyone fortunate to come in contact with them. I was a beneficiary of such blessing during my own Presidential campaign. We need to appreciate the enormity of their responsibilities to society at large.

Our leaders also have some lessons to learn from this debacle. They should try to visit Pastors as anonymously and incognito as possible. I did so when I contested in 2011 choosing to visit one of the most revered Pastors Daddy Adeboye in his office at the Camp, unobtrusively after one of the Church’s major celebrations.
It would be terrible if we open up our icons to public odium because some leaders want to exploit the Pastors’ spirituality and popularity to electoral advantage. The religious card being played is fast becoming ineffective and divisive.

A top Pastor sent me a few messages which I intend to consolidate and paraphrase and share with you because of their relevance given the climate of religious hatred being fomented by our politicians.

“Good day people, vote your conscience. Don’t be manipulated. If your Pastor says don’t vote for a Muslim, ask him if Daniel served a Saint, whether Modeccai did not serve King Ahasseurus and if Joseph was not a Prime Minister under Pharaoh. This election is not about North versus South, nor is it about Christian versus Muslim. It is about Nigeria and good governance. Don’t allow politicians to divide us. When they share money, they don’t talk about religion. When they want donation from Aliko Dangote, they don’t remember he is a Muslim. When they enter an aircraft, they don’t ask the religious faith of the pilot… They and their wives go to Dubai to spend money. Dubai is in the United Arab Emirate but they have no problem buying houses there. But when it comes to politics back home, they say their opponents want to Islamise you…

“Vote for your conscience. If you want to vote for Jonathan, vote for him based on your conviction that he has performed in your estimation and not because he’s a Christian. If you want to vote for Buhari, vote for him because you feel disenchanted with the Jonathan government, not because he is a Muslim. Say no to bigotry. God bless Nigeria…”

There is nothing more to add. The choice is yours. Decide on who your preference is. It shall be well with our nation… !

First Published on thisdaylive.com… Published with Author’s permission.

A Passionate Letter to General Buhari- Dele Momodu

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Your Excellency, let me start by congratulating you on a keenly contested Presidential Primary of your party APC which you won resoundingly. Even if I’m not a member of your party, I’m a recent convert to Buharism, as previously explained elsewhere, and I believe every member of the opposition must join forces to work for your victory in 2015. It is for this reason and purpose that I wish to give you a few words of advice and encouragement as one of your humble disciples. I’ve come to realise that many leaders often fail because most of their followers are usually too timid or terribly selfish that they can’t tell them the truth. It is one of the reasons I’ve refused to join any of the mainstream parties in which I may not be able to express myself freely. I assure you sir, that I seek nothing but the good of our dear beloved country in return for my modest support.

Please, permit me to say, categorically, that no man can claim glory for your victory. The only one to thank is your God who gave you the uncommon attributes of integrity, modesty and tenacity. I’m aware that success has too many family members but you must be very careful to know your true blood relations. I can imagine the pressure you must be getting from every direction at this great moment in a nation of amazing politicians who already see your likely chances at the polls. It is our standard practice in Nigeria but you must be careful not to waste this incredible momentum.
I’ve been monitoring all the hullaballoo since you became victorious. I plead with you and your party operatives to act fact and hit the ground running. Your campaign must start urgently because there are so many bridges to cross. I have no doubt in my mind that the propaganda of your opponent is evaporating so rapidly and you’ve obviously ignited a passion in our youths who seemed to have finally connected to your message of change and hope. The last time I witnessed such an upsurge of emotion and excitement was in 1993 when Chief Moshood Abiola emerged the Presidential flag-bearer of SDP in Jos. Trust me, you gave us a fresh hope two days ago.

As a media man, I’m always wary of wasting moments of glory. You cannot imagine how we kept sleepless nights because of you. Ordinary Nigerians like me kept faith with and vigil for you. I won’t be surprised if some even fasted. It was that serious. I saw Christians and Muslims pray together. It was surreal and magical to say the least. We all waited with bated breath for the results. When finally it was time to count the ballot, most of us were in suspense. We counted every vote along with Senator Babafemi Ojudu and company. And we were very impressed with the ability of the Convention committee led by Dr Kayode Fayemi, who taught INEC how to run a good election. Our joy knew no bounds as you came out victorious.

Sir, I wish to assure you that the outcome of that keenly contested election was not a fluke. You all worked hard and made your party and our country proud. We were happy to see a Nigerian politician concede defeat even as votes were still being counted. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s tweet was a masterstroke. It showed clearly that Democracy has germinated in our clime and we can begin to look forward for bountiful harvests in the not too distant future. We were impressed with the collective performances of Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, Govenor Rochas Okorocha and our Brother Publisher, Sam Nda-Isiah. I pray this team spirit holds to the end. It is an attitude to encourage because it demonstrates the preparedness of those who are serious about the 2015 elections. Even the ambience surrounding the event venue was just too sweet.
My honest and humble suggestion is that you must do what you’ve promised to do, carry your party along with you and you will find the task ahead a LOT easier.  You’ve criss-crossed the length and breadth of Nigeria in the past bonding with your party members and fellow Nigerians. This is your fourth attempt and hopefully the last shot at returning to finish the job which you were wickedly prevented from finishing in 1985. In your past outings, you tried all you could but got frustrated all the way by forces beyond your control. Never mind, the time has come for you to reap the rewards of that Odysseus journey.

In your previous outings, Sir, you must have suffered a huge trauma. You were called many unprintable names because of your bluntness and inability to pretend and lie about your faith and beliefs. The one ugly label that stuck to you like a leech is that of being an Islamic fundamentalist.  Even recently, you were subliminally accused of being the prime promoter of the much-dreaded Boko Haram. But no one had the guts to frontally arrest you and prosecute you for crimes against your country and humanity. I still wonder till this day how you managed to bear all the insults and assaults against you with such unusual equanimity.
In the process of trying to prove your innocence, you went to great lengths and chose all manner of characters as your running-mates. I remember you chose a prominent and highly-cerebral Igbo Chief, Dr Chuba Okadigbo, as your Vice Presidential candidate, but that was not good enough for our people to vote for you. Instead, you were described as an incurable irredentist. Most recently, and probably out of desperation to shed off the toga of religious bigotry, you chose the fiery preacher, Pastor Tunde Bakare of The Latter Rain Assembly, as your soul-mate, but you were still not able to wash off your hands clean like Pontius Pilate. I must confess that your skin must be tougher than that of a porcupine. If there is one lesson we must all learn from you, it is that we must never give up in the face of daunting challenges. You are truly resilient and indomitable.

My dream is to see your party come together to form a kind of shadow cabinet as soon as possible.  This will also show your teeming supporters how committed you are.  The composition of your squad will reveal the kind of personalities that will eventually form your dream team in Government. From now on members of that crew will be formulating policies and commenting on issues of national economic and social importance and showing Nigerians what they should come to expect from May 29 2015.  I’ve always been an advocate of such because it additionally helps you to gather a combined synergy. Instead of relying on your personal popularity, it would be possible to tap into the energy of other members and millions of youths who are happy to volunteer for your campaign. For the first time since you started contesting in 2003, you have a nationwide spread of supporters behind you. It is almost supernatural that the Governors in your party control the chunkiest parts in Nigeria. But your biggest assets are the masses who believe in you. They must never be taken for granted because they are the voice of God.

If the APC can sustain the classy craftsmanship we saw at the Lagos Convention, I’ve no doubt that your campaign would catch the attention of most Nigerians everywhere and change the lacklustre way of organising political rallies. Your campaign must be issue based. I loved your letter to the APC Delegates. It was so soul-lifting that it went viral. It would be nice to write from time to time to Nigerians intimating them on how you plan to tackle the many problems afflicting our country. In addition you must not fear to regularly interact with Nigerians face to face when matters of national importance arise.  It is a poor leader who leaves such matters to publicists and spokesperson.  It reveals that they are insecure and unsure of themselves.  More importantly, it displays a significant disconnect between the leader and his constituents as well as a distinct lack of compassion. We have suffered too many unfulfilled promises and too many shocking denials of matters which critically affect our people.  The people have become virtually paranoid of politicians and their sugar-coated and phantasmagorical lies.
There are too many brilliant Nigerians across the world desperate to see a better Nigeria before they die. They will support you unconditionally once they key into your dream for the country. The situation of the country is so bad that everyone is expecting a miracle from God. This is the time to prove that Nigeria is not a cursed country but a truly blessed race. I’m already impressed with the calibre of people I see around you and I’m persuaded they are capable of not only helping you to win the election but also to run an effective government.

I wish you the best of luck Sir.
LET THE RACE BEGIN MR PRESIDENT
I have no personal animosity against you, Mr President. As a matter of fact, I think you have been just unfortunate to have assumed power at a most terrible period in the history of our country. I cannot write you off in the next Presidential contest. You are the incumbent with all the Federal might at your disposal. But it is going to be the biggest battle that you, PDP and indeed the conservatives have ever fought since coming to power in 1999.

If you, as the President fail in your second term bid, it would be due to several reasons. The first is that PDP has not lived up to its billing despite all the vast resources at its disposal. The money spent since then would have turned a more prudent country into a paradise on earth. But in our own case, the more you look, the less you see. Education has collapsed totally. Infrastructural decay is abysmal. Insecurity is atrocious. Corruption has shot through the roof. It is a long tale of woes.

Even those much vaunted areas that your Government promotes in our media are now being shown to be nothing more than propaganda stunts. We still have no power despite all the amounts that have been burnt in the purported attempt to provide light for our people. Our economy is in shambles.   Our international economists have totally lost the grip.  I still cannot understand how the price of crude has fallen to the level that it has and yet the domestic price of petrol and petroleum products has not fallen a kobo.  It is sacrilegious.  The one thing that is clear is that there is now no subsidy of any description so the so-called deficits in the budget should not be there.  Our voodoo economists however will tell us the contrary.  Ask them to tell you the truth because the die is cast.
The major challenge is that your supporters are also fond of threatening hell-fire against your opponents instead of trying to sell your best attributes. I can see this strategy failing already. Please, don’t deviate from your belief that the blood of Nigerians is not worth dropping for politics. Be a man of peace and not a man of war. God has been too kind to you. If He wishes, he may still retain you in power.

Credit: This Day Live