Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to Germany, Femi Fani-Kayode, has criticised media entrepreneur and politician Dele Momodu over his remarks comparing the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with the regime of late military ruler Sani Abacha.
Momodu, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, had during an interview on Channels Television warned that Tinubu’s leadership style suggested the tendencies of a potential dictator, adding that some critics had begun to liken the current administration to the Abacha era.
Reacting in a statement shared on his X handle on Monday, Fani-Kayode, a former Minister of Aviation, dismissed Momodu’s comments as misguided and unfair, describing them as a reflection of what he called a “worrisome level of cognitive dissonance.”
Momodu had told the programme’s host, Seun Okinbaloye, that his political observations of Tinubu dated back to the President’s tenure as governor of Lagos State between 1999 and 2007.
According to him, developments since that period indicated a leadership style that could drift toward authoritarianism.
“From what happened since 1999 when he became governor to 2007 when he left as governor of Lagos State, and then hijacked Lagos, it was clear to me that we were dealing with a potential dictator if given the presidential ticket,” Momodu said during the interview.
He added that some observers had even described the current political climate as worse than that experienced under the Abacha military government.
However, Fani-Kayode strongly faulted the remarks, saying Momodu appeared “drained, tired and broken” during the interview and suggesting that the media personality should step back from political commentary for a while.
“I love Dele and I have immense respect for him, but he sounded drained and spoke little sense in his interview,” he wrote.
The former minister further accused Momodu of showing disrespect to the President and other senior government officials, including ministers, senators and newly appointed ambassadors.
Fani-Kayode also launched a scathing attack on the ADC, describing the opposition party as ill-prepared for Nigeria’s political landscape.
According to him, the party lacked the structure, resources and leadership required to compete effectively with the ruling All Progressives Congress.
He argued that the growing number of political figures aligning with the APC was a reflection of both the performance of the Tinubu administration and what he described as the weak credibility of the ADC.
Despite his criticism, Fani-Kayode appealed to Momodu to reconsider his political alignment and join the ruling party, insisting that the publisher deserved “better political company.”
The exchange marks the latest in a series of sharp political disagreements among Nigerian political actors ahead of growing debates over the country’s political direction.
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