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‘He stopped picking my calls’ – Dele Momodu explains why he fell out with Wike

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A journalist-cum politician, Dele Momodu, has explained why he fell out with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

He said he was a close friend to Wike but their relationship became strained after he informed the former Rivers State governor of his intention to contest for president.

He explained that Wike, who was also secretly nursing his own presidential ambition then, was angered by the information and stopped picking his calls.

Speaking in a recent episode of The Honest Bunch podcast, Momodu said, “I was very close to [Nyesom] Wike.

We are no longer close. Troubles started the moment I declared interest in the presidential election.

“He had not told anybody he wanted to contest but I was suspecting because of the branding and how much he was spending on journalists. He had PR deals with many media houses.

“Those things are not cheap but he was getting good results; everybody was talking about him.

“So, I met him and informed him that I would be contesting for the presidency and I would need his support.

And before then, I had consulted nationwide, I had met Emirs, the Sultan and everybody.

“The general impression I was getting was that if Wike wants to run, he would have problems, especially in the North. The Northerners would support anybody but not Wike.

“I tried to tell him that this is what I had picked up and in case you are unable to run, would you kindly support me? What’s the crime in that?

“I already considered you my friend. He stopped picking my calls, he told people even live on Channels, when an interviewer asked for his opinions on new entrances like Dele Momodu, he said, ‘Which Dele Momodu? Get serious!’

“I was shocked. Wike that told me that he used to watch myself and his boss, [Rotimi] Ameachi when we are flying helicopters, he would be down saying, ‘See these people, they’re enjoying o!,’ is now disrespecting me simply because he has now made money, and power.”

Reacting to former president Ibrahim Babangida’s admission of regret for annulling the June 12 elections in 1993 during his book launch titled, “A Journey of Service” in Abuja last week.

Momodu said he believes that a sincere and “unconditional apology” from the former president was all that was needed to acknowledge the injustice and fully heal the nation.

“I was hoping that we would be able to bring some form of closure to the June 12 crisis. All that we needed to do that day was to get a full unconditional apology for what happened,” Momodu stated.

“The moment I started hearing excuses about how we did it in the national interest, we did it so our democracy could survive. I don’t think what we have today is a proper democracy,” he noted.

Momodu criticised the current political landscape, arguing that it has strayed from true democratic values, pointing out that governments at all levels manipulate elections, leaving no room for real competition.

“It’s become a sham where the federal government wants to win every election, the state government wants to win every election, the local government is in disarray. So at the end of the day, what have we gained?” he asked.

Watch full interview below at Glitch Africa Studio: “The Honest Bunch”

Video credit: Honest Bunch

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FG launches GovGuideNigeria to boost citizens governance access

GovGuideNigeria platform is accessible through WhatsApp and the web, and is available in English, Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba to ensure wider accessibility for citizens across different linguistic backgrounds.

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The Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijan, has said that Nigerians can now access the government information and services through the newly launched GovGuideNigeria.

The artificial intelligence-powered platform was launched on May 21 by the government in collaboration with Meta, the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), and local developer partner Publica AI.

According to the Minister, the platform is accessible through WhatsApp and the web, and is available in English, Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba to ensure wider accessibility for citizens across different linguistic backgrounds.

Tijani stated that the platform provides users with easy access to information from more than 35 federal ministries and over 60 government agencies.

He described the initiative as part of the government’s efforts to improve public service delivery through technology and digital innovation.

Sade Dada, Head of Public Policy, Meta, said during the launch “Meta’s open-source AI is critical to economic growth and productivity — and GovGuide Nigeria, is a clear example of what this looks like in practice.

Ignatius Willie, CEO, Publica AI said, “Today is not just a product launch. It is a step towards democratising how Nigerians engage with their government. With GovGuide Nigeria, we are not simply digitising access to public services; we are making them conversational, multilingual, and available on the channels Nigerians already use every day.

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DHQ says JAS terrorists carried out Oyo kidnap

The DHQ denied reports suggesting it referred to terrorists operating in the South-West as ordinary criminals, insisting that such interpretations were inaccurate and misleading.

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Photo: Maj Gen Michael Onoja

The Defence Headquarters disclosed that the attackers behind the Oyo abduction were members of the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad terrorist group displaced by sustained military offensives across the country.

Latest week, schools in communities at Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, were attacked by terrorists ; they abducted pupils, teachers and other residents from Community High School, Ahoro-Esinle.

The incident also left several persons dead, while one of the abducted teachers, Michael Oyedokun, was later killed after a video linked to the attack surfaced online.

In a statement signed by the Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj Gen Michael Onoja, the DHQ confirmed said that the attack was perpetrated by terrorists of the JAS Group that have been dislodged from other parts of the country due to high-intensity operations being conducted all over the country.

The DHQ denied reports suggesting it referred to terrorists operating in the South-West as ordinary criminals, insisting that such interpretations were inaccurate and misleading.

“It is, therefore, inaccurate and misleading to suggest that the Defence Headquarters, at any point, referred to vicious and violent terrorists as criminals,” Onoja stated

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NYSC warns against night travel as 2026 Batch B Stream I orientation begins June 10

The orientation exercise will officially end on Tuesday, June 30, 2026.

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The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) announced Thursday that the 2026 Batch ‘B’ Stream I Orientation Course will begin on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, with the reception and registration of prospective corps members across the country.

In a statement signed by Caroline Embu, Director, Information and Public Relations, NYSC said that the registration would end at midnight on Friday, June 12, in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The NYSC added that the swearing-in ceremony for prospective corps members mobilised for the 2026 Batch ‘B’ Stream I service year would also take place on Friday, June 12.

The orientation exercise will officially end on Tuesday, June 30, 2026.

The scheme wished all mobilised Nigerian graduates safe journeys to their various orientation camps nationwide and reiterated its warning against night travel.

It advised prospective corps members to suspend their journeys once it is 6pm and spend the night at any available corps members’ lodge, military formation, police station, outpost, or palace of a traditional ruler before continuing the next morning.

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