Veteran journalist and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dele Momodu, has issued a stern caution to President Bola Tinubu, advising against giving further political elevation to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
Speaking in a strongly worded reaction to Wike’s recent comments during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Momodu claimed that the former Rivers State governor had been deeply altered by the intoxicating effects of power and access to public funds.
“My appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is that no matter what you are expecting to gain from Wike in 2027, Wike is not the kind of character you should promote,” Momodu warned.
According to Momodu, Wike’s political evolution from his early days as a local government chairman to a powerful minister has been marred by arrogance and a loss of humility.
“When a man who had been a nobody gets power, he begins to change slowly and steadily,” Momodu said, suggesting that Wike’s transformation was driven by an unchecked appetite for control and influence.
He further alleged that Wike’s respect was once solely reserved for his political godfather, former Governor Rotimi Amaechi, before the tide of power shifted.
“The oppressed man respects only one man – the oppressor,” Momodu stated. “Wike used to respect only one man – Rotimi Amaechi.”
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Recounting his personal experience with the FCT Minister, Momodu revealed that both men had enjoyed a cordial relationship leading up to the 2022 PDP presidential primaries. However, the bond fractured as political ambition intensified.
“Of course, after power in Nigeria comes the spirit of money. Also very demonic if you don’t know how to manage it well,” he remarked, adding that power without character often leads to a tragic political descent.
Momodu’s comments come amid growing speculations about Wike’s role in Tinubu’s 2027 political calculations, especially given his strained ties with the PDP and perceived alignment with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
While neither Wike nor the presidency has responded to Momodu’s remarks, political analysts suggest the warning signals deeper tensions within the nation’s political class over the former governor’s influence and ambitions.
As the race to 2027 begins to take shape, voices like Momodu’s are expected to further stoke the fire around the question of who holds sway—and who should.