Wike’s aide fires back at Dele Momodu over Democracy Day remarks

Lere Olayinka, the Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, has responded harshly to recent remarks made by veteran journalist and PDP chieftain, Dele Momodu, calling his comments misleading and his criticisms a reflection of deeper personal frustrations.

The clash followed an interview where Momodu questioned Wike’s democratic credentials, asking, “Where was Wike during the June 12 struggle? Who knew him then?”

He suggested that Wike now speaks on democratic issues as though he was one of Nigeria’s founding voices for democracy.

In a strongly worded response on Thursday, Olayinka accused Momodu of hypocrisy and opportunism, suggesting that the former presidential aspirant has exaggerated his role in Nigeria’s pro-democracy history.

“Dele Momodu’s obsession with Wike has reached the point where he appears fixated. He now attributes everything to Wike, even in his subconscious,” Olayinka said.

“If only those who participated in the June 12 struggle are allowed to speak on democracy, then by the same logic, only Nigeria’s founding fathers should be allowed to live in the country.”

He accused Momodu of leveraging the June 12 movement for personal benefit, claiming the publisher used the struggle as a way to escape the country rather than actively participate in it.

“True heroes of the June 12 movement didn’t glorify or feature the children of those who detained MKO Abiola in photo books, nor did they spend their time posing in the mansions of military generals for magazine spreads,” Olayinka added, referencing Momodu’s Ovation Magazine work.

According to the aide, Momodu’s name does not belong on the list of those who genuinely fought for the actualization of June 12.

“He capitalized on the struggle to build his brand and should stop rewriting history to insert himself where he doesn’t belong,” Olayinka stated.

The back-and-forth reflects ongoing tensions within the PDP, where figures like Wike and Momodu have frequently clashed over leadership and party direction.