Veteran journalist and politician, Dele Momodu, has opened up about the circumstances that led to a sour relationship between him and the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
Speaking on a recent episode of The Honest Bunch podcast, Momodu revealed that his once cordial relationship with the former Rivers State Governor began to deteriorate shortly after he declared his intention to contest for the presidency.
According to Momodu, Wike began to distance himself and even stopped responding to his calls after he shared his presidential ambition with him — a move he believes unsettled the minister due to his own undisclosed political interests.
“I was very close to Wike. We are no longer close. Troubles started the moment I declared interest in the presidential election,” Momodu said.
He further explained that although Wike had not publicly declared his own ambition at the time, there were clear signs pointing to his political aspirations.
“I was suspecting because of the branding and how much he was spending on journalists. He had PR deals with many media houses. Those things are not cheap, but he was getting good results; everybody was talking about him,” he added.
Momodu narrated that he had consulted widely across the country and even met with prominent northern leaders before reaching out to Wike to seek his support. However, rather than receive encouragement, he was met with silence.
“I tried to tell him that this is what I had picked up and in case you are unable to run, would you kindly support me? What’s the crime in that?”
He expressed disappointment over Wike’s public dismissal of him, recounting how the minister had once admired his media influence and political involvement.
“I was shocked. Wike that used to say he watched myself and his boss, [Rotimi] Amaechi flying helicopters, saying, ‘See these people, they’re enjoying o!,’ is now disrespecting me simply because he has now made money and power.”