Connect with us

News

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

Published

on

414 Views

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

News

Military Troops Battle ISWAP Attack in Maiduguri

The affected areas include Dala, Bulamari and Ajilari Cross, where residents reported intense gunfire coming from the outskirts of the Borno State capital.

Published

on

By

25 Views

Residents in parts of Maiduguri were thrown into panic late Monday night after heavy gunfire was heard across sections of the city.

Witnesses say the sound of gunshots triggered fear and confusion, forcing many residents to flee their homes in search of safety.

The affected areas include Dala, Bulamari and Ajilari Cross, where residents reported intense gunfire coming from the outskirts of the Borno State capital.

Security sources say suspected fighters linked to Boko Haram or ISWAP launched an attack on the outskirts of Maiduguri, prompting a swift response from Nigerian troops.

Nigerian Air Force fighter jets were also deployed and are currently engaging the assailants as efforts continue to repel the attack.

Authorities are yet to release an official statement on the incident, while residents remain on edge as security forces work to contain the situation

Continue Reading

News

Insecurity: Nigeria’s Internally Displaced Persons Hit 3.726m

According to the report, Zamfara is hosting 276,887 IDPs in 9 camps as of March 2026, while , Benue State hosts over 500,000 internally displaced persons, making it one of the worst-hit states.

Published

on

By

30 Views

Data compiled by the International Organisation for Migration Displacement Tracking Matrix, showed that there are 3,725,593 internally displaced persons, IDPs, now scattered across about 3,900 camps and settlements nationwide.

According to the report, Zamfara is hosting 276,887 IDPs in 9 camps as of March 2026, while , Benue State hosts over 500,000 internally displaced persons, making it one of the worst-hit states.

In Taraba State, about 90,000 displaced persons are currently sheltered in eight camps located in Peva and Kufai Ahmadu in Chanchanji Ward of Takum LGA.

The report said that the crisis has largely been driven by insurgency in the North-East, banditry in the North-West, farmer–herder conflicts in the North-Central, and communal clashes in parts of the South.

It further said that Nigeria’s 3.726 million displaced population is larger than the population of at least 63 countries whose populations are under 3.7 million, according to United Nations population estimates.

Among countries with fewer than 3.7 million people are Uruguay (3.4m), Jamaica (2.8m), Qatar (2.7m), Namibia (2.6m) and Botswana (2.6m).

Continue Reading

News

Atiku’s Media Aide, Ifeanyi Izeze is Dead

The media office said that further details about Izeze’s burial would be made public by his family.

Published

on

By

29 Views

Atiku Media Office has announced the death of Ifeanyi Izeze, a member of the media team of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

In the statement , Izeze a prominent and pioneer member of the ex-VP’s media team died on Sunday.

“Ifeanyi Izeze joined the media team of the then Vice President Atiku Abubakar in 2006, from Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria (ALSCON), Ikot-Abasi as the Office Manager.

He brought to bear on the work of the media team at that critical stage of Atiku’s political career, his wealth of experience in the media, Niger Delta and Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

Izeze trained as a geologist at the University of Port Harcourt up to postgraduate level, but carved a niche in journalism where he reported and wrote extensively on oil and gas industry in Nigeria for many years in the defunct Sunray, Anchor, and NewAge newspapers among others, before he joined ALSCON.

In the Atiku Media Office, Ifeanyi was a senior member of the team and its pioneer Office Manager who helped shape the campaign policies of the Atiku Presidential Campaigns in the Niger Delta, particularly in the oil and gas sectors,” the statement further reads.

Atiku Media Office described the deceased as a man with a prodigious sense of humour and a born-again Christian of the Christ Embassy.

The media office said that further details about Izeze’s burial would be made public by his family.

He left behind children, grandchildren and an elder and only surviving brother, Pastor Emeka Izeze of the Guardian Newspapers fame

Continue Reading

Trending