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A public disagreement between two prominent figures in Nigeria’s political and media circles has intensified after former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode issued a sharply worded rebuke of Dele Momodu, the publisher and African Democratic Congress chieftain who compared President Bola Tinubu’s leadership to the military rule of the late General Sani Abacha.
Momodu made the comparison during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, hosted by Seun Okinbaloye, where he described Tinubu as a potential dictator.
“From what happened since 1999 when he became governor to 2007 when he left as governor of Lagos State, and then hijacked Lagos, since then till today, it was very clear to me that I didn’t need a prophet to tell me that we are dealing with a potential dictator,” Momodu said. “Some people have even described this moment as being worse than that of Abacha government.”
Abacha, who ruled Nigeria from 1993 until his death in 1998, presided over a period of severe political repression, the execution of activists including writer Ken Saro-Wiwa, and extensive documented human rights abuses. The invocation of his name as a point of comparison in Nigerian political commentary carries significant weight, and the remarks drew an immediate response.
Fani-Kayode, Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to Germany, responded in a statement titled “To My Brother Bobby Dee,” describing Momodu’s remarks as “misguided” and “uncharitable,” and characterizing the Tinubu-Abacha comparison as a reflection of “a worrisome level of cognitive dissonance.”
Despite the force of his criticism, Fani-Kayode maintained a veneer of personal warmth toward Momodu throughout the statement.
“I love Dele and God knows I have immense respect for him but he sounded drained, tired and broken and spoke little sense yesterday in his interview with Seun Okinbaloye of Channels TV,” he wrote, adding: “May I humbly suggest to him to try and take a break from politics and political commentary for a while, get his breath back and attempt to overhaul his intellectual engine?”
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The criticism extended well beyond the Abacha comparison. Fani-Kayode accused Momodu of disrespecting not only the president but a broad range of government officials.
“Not only was he uncharitable and disrespectful to the President, the Vice President, the ministers, the senators and the newly-appointed ambassadors, many of whom have far more experience than him in governance and government, but he also insulted the collective intelligence of the Nigerian people,” he said.
A portion of the statement turned to party structure and electoral viability ahead of the 2027 general elections. Fani-Kayode directed pointed criticism at the ADC, the opposition platform with which Momodu is affiliated, arguing that the party had failed to build the organizational foundation necessary to function as a credible political force.
“The ADC cannot even be described as a sinking ship but rather as a badly patched-up inflatable plastic lifeboat that has not even managed to find its bearing or leave the harbour,” he said. “It has no engine, no sails, no oars, no captain, no crew, no navigational equipment, no muscle, no firepower, no war chest, no destination, and worse of all, it is made of rubber and not steel.”
He advised the party and Momodu to channel their energy into building internal capacity rather than sustaining attacks on the ruling All Progressives Congress. “He and his associates in the ADC should focus more on trying to build up their ranks and form a strong opposition that we can engage in the 2027 election rather than continuously talk about what our President and our party are doing,” he said.
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Fani-Kayode also extended an invitation to Momodu to cross into the ruling party’s fold. Describing Momodu’s current position in the ADC as that of “a gentle, beautiful, well bred, well fed and well manicured flamingo trapped in a sea of ugly, cruel, loud, angry, starving, cackling and relentless crows and vultures,” he concluded: “I appeal to my brother Dele: leave the ranks of the forces of darkness and join us. You are far too good for the company you keep.”
Momodu, who ran as a presidential candidate in 2011 and 2015 under different platforms before becoming active in the ADC, had previously expressed the view that Tinubu’s political trajectory signaled authoritarian tendencies. He has not responded publicly to Fani-Kayode’s statement at the time of publication.
Fani-Kayode, for his part, reaffirmed support for the Tinubu administration, stating that it “started well” and would end well. His remarks come as the APC has continued to attract defections from opposition parties across several states, a trend he cited as evidence of public confidence in the current government’s direction.
The exchange reflects broader tensions in Nigeria’s political landscape as parties begin to position themselves ahead of the 2027 electoral cycle. Whether the ADC, which finished a distant competitor in the 2023 general elections, can consolidate a credible opposition platform remains an open question. Momodu had not issued a formal reply as of Wednesday.
