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Publisher of Ovation magazine, Dele Momodu, has disclosed the reason why he has chosen not to support the presidential bid of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
How it happened: Momodu, a presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said this in reaction to the incident that transpired between him and Tinubu's wife, Oluremi Tinubu, at the funeral of a chieftain of the APC, the late Kemi Nelson in Lagos on Friday, August 26, 2022.
The publisher recounted his experience with Oluremi in a statement posted on his verified Instagram page via @delemomoduovation.
No to Tinubu: Momodu said, despite the past he shared with Tinubu, he chose not to support the APC candidate because he's more interested in helping the PDP take over government in 2023.
Momodu's statement: “Only two people, apart from the photographers, witnessed what happened between me and Senator Oluremi Tinubu yesterday, at the funeral service of Chief Kemi Nelson at Archbishop Vining Memorial Church in Ikeja, Lagos.
“Before some people add salt and pepper (sic) to it, I need to state precisely what happened. Senator Tokunbo Abiru and Dr Tunji Olowolafe and I had walked in about the same time and we went to greet my very dear sister, Senator Oluremi Tinubu. Immediately she saw me, we exchanged our usual pleasantries and then she asked me, “So, Bob Dee, you’re not going to campaign for my husband?” I smiled and remained very calm before replying, “Your Excellency, I’m in PDP.” She apparently didn’t find it funny and regaled us with the past I shared with her husband and I tried to calm her down.
“Anyway, I went back to my seat and pondered on what just happened and I soliloquised. Before the PDP primary, I had been asked repeatedly by journalists if I’ll dump PDP if I don’t get the ticket, my answer was NO (sic). So if I had gotten the PDP ticket, would I step down for TINUBU of APC, the answer is No (sic).
“I joined PDP because APC was leading Nigeria to Golgotha. APC candidates are promising to continue BUHARI’S ‘good works!’ (sic) I joined PDP in order to sack APC from power and to do this I needed a strong opposition party. I had preached to my younger friends that only a mainstream party like PDP can achieve this in 2023.
“This remains my conviction. I practice what I preach. Those who disagree are in other parties and I respect their opinions and wish them well. I’m in PDP. I love ASIWAJU BOLA AHMED TINUBU. We’ve truly come way back. I love PROFESSOR YEMI OSINBAJO. I love RT. HON. CHIBUIKE ROTIMI AMAECHI… And all my APC friends… (sic) But APC has done too much damage to Nigeria.
“I choose to place Nigeria above friendship… I will try my best to support and encourage our PDP candidate ALHAJI ATIKU ABUBAKAR (sic) to do the right things in our party and to rescue our dear beloved country from the vestiges of oppression, religious intolerance, poverty, terrorism, infrastructure decay, economic wows, unemployment. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”