The senior special assistant to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister on Public Communications, Lere Olayinka, has lambasted Dele Momodu, publisher of Ovation Magazine, over his repeated criticisms of Nyesom Wike, accusing him of suffering from a “psychotic fixation” with the former Rivers State governor.
Olayinka’s scathing remarks came in response to Momodu’s recent interview where he questioned Wike’s role in Nigeria’s democratic struggle, asking, “Where was Wike during the June 12 struggle? Who knew him then? But today, he speaks as if he’s the founding father.”
In a scathing retort, Olayinka questioned the credibility of Momodu’s claims, asking, “As a presidential aspirant, not a single delegate voted for Dele Momodu during the 2022 presidential primary election of the PDP. Was Wike responsible for that? Or why this fixation for anything Wike?”
According to Olayinka, Momodu’s obsession seems to stem from a profound misunderstanding of his own relevance in the political discourse.
“The mental case of the self-appointed chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) appears to have graduated from psychology to psychosis,” he said, adding that Momodu sees Wike in everything he does, including even in his dreams.
Moreover, Olayinka went on to challenge Momodu’s historical credence, stating, “Where was Dele Momodu when Nigeria was being founded? Was he among the founding fathers to be living in this country?”
He accused the Ovation publisher of attempting to lend himself credibility by invoking the struggles of the past while failing to have substantially contributed.
“Since in the warped mindset of Dele Momodu, those who were not part of the June 12 struggle are not entitled to speak about democracy in Nigeria, I think those who were not part of the struggle for independence should also not live in this country,” Olayinka said.
The minister’s aide further admonished Momodu, urging him to stop lying about his alleged involvement in the June 12 struggle.
“He only used the June 12 struggle to Japa. He didn’t struggle for anything other than his own well-being,” he said.
Olayinka also criticised Momodu’s approach, arguing that those who genuinely fought for the June 12 struggle would not have taken liberties with the legacies of its heroes.
“Those who genuinely struggled for June 12 didn’t use the children of the man who incarcerated MKO Abiola until his death as the model for any photo book, as done by Dele Momodu,” he noted.
He further condemned Momodu’s practice of visiting and photographing military generals, questioning the integrity of such actions when tied to the legacy of the June 12 movement.
“When the register of those who fought for the actualization of June 12 is taken, people like Dele Momodu, who used it to hustle, should stop forcing their names into it,” Olayinka said.
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