2027: Wike is unfit for higher office – Momodu warns Tinubu

Media mogul and former presidential aspirant, Dele Momodu, has called on President Bola Tinubu to halt what he sees as the elevation of Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking during an interview on Politics Today on Channels Television, Momodu expressed concern over Wike’s recent public outbursts and combative posture, particularly during a television appearance where the minister verbally attacked political rivals and former allies.

Describing Wike’s behaviour as “erratic” and “a public display of someone who has lost control,” Momodu warned that promoting such a controversial figure to a more prominent national role could damage the credibility of Tinubu’s administration.

“My appeal to President Bola Tinubu is that no matter what you are expecting to gain from Wike in 2027, he is not the kind of character you should promote,” Momodu said. “Not the kind of man who should hijack our collective patrimony.”

Momodu, who ran for president under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023, traced his fallout with Wike to their mutual presidential ambitions.

He said he had formally written to Wike to inform him of his decision to contest, only to be warned by a former president that the PDP ticket had become prohibitively expensive.

“Wike had raised the stakes to $30,000 per delegate. That’s over N17 billion. Even if I sold my entire family, I couldn’t raise that kind of money,” he stated.

He further alleged that Wike mocked his candidacy publicly. “He went on air and laughed at me, asking what someone like me who lives on Twitter was doing in the race. That’s when I knew this wasn’t just politics, it was personal,” he said.

Despite acknowledging past professional ties, Momodu maintained that his media company provided substantial value to Wike. “We helped polish his image. We trained him in public speaking. But you can take a man out of the bush; you can’t take the bush out of the man,” he said.

Recalling Wike’s earlier political years, Momodu said Wike once respected his former boss, Rotimi Amaechi, but that changed once Wike rose to power. “After becoming chairman of Obiakpor Local Government, that was when his metamorphosis started. In Nigeria, power brings money, and money can become demonic if not managed,” he said.

He likened Wike’s current behaviour to intoxication. “What I saw on display last Friday was a man soaked in esoteric spirits. Alcohol and drugs often have the same effect,” Momodu said.

The remarks add another layer to the growing tension within the PDP and the wider political discourse ahead of the 2027 elections, with Wike remaining a controversial figure both within his party and the broader political landscape.