Veteran journalist and publisher, Dele Momodu, has alleged that the pursuit of a second term by President Bola Tinubu could ultimately damage his legacy.
Speaking during an appearance on Arise News on Wednesday, Momodu, a former presidential aspirant under the Peoples Democratic Party, urged the president to reflect on his pro-democracy past and the long-term implications of his leadership choices.
“Once upon a time, you were one of our leaders when we were fighting for this democracy,” Momodu said.
“So what shall it profit you, if you can do two terms, three terms, if you can live forever and rule Nigeria forever? By the end of the day, your name enters that book of ignominy. If I meet him today, that’s the question I will ask: is it worth it?”
He acknowledged Tinubu’s historic rise to the presidency—an achievement that eluded Nigerian political icons like Obafemi Awolowo, MKO Abiola, and Nnamdi Azikiwe—but warned that a forceful push for a second term could erase the honour that came with that milestone.
“Pushing for a second term ‘by fire, by force’ could wipe away all that honour,” he cautioned.
Momodu also voiced his full support for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition, describing it as a credible alternative that has emerged from over 18 months of behind-the-scenes planning by key opposition leaders, including Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi.
He revealed that to avoid political sabotage and surveillance, strategy meetings were held in locations such as London, Morocco, and Ghana. According to him, the ADC now serves as a properly structured platform to reposition the opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“The ADC is no longer a fringe platform. It has become the organisational engine of the opposition movement in Nigeria,” Momodu declared.
Taking a swipe at the PDP, Momodu criticised the party’s leadership for failing to manage internal conflicts and for losing touch with its core members.
“The PDP tried to chase away members, then tried to woo them back, too late. They left the party in shambles when they should have acted firmly and early,” he said.
On the APC-led administration, he noted that despite several calls for intervention by political elders, those in authority have remained unresponsive.
“But before they collapse our democracy, some people must rise up. That’s what the ADC did today,” Momodu added.
