Former presidential aspirant, Dele Momodu, has expressed concern about the culture of silence within the All Progressives Congress (APC), alleging that many members are unable to openly express dissent.
PrimeTimes Nigeria reports that Momodu stated this during an appearance on Tuesday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today programme.
According to Momodu, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), most APC members grumble behind closed doors but dare not speak up about their dissatisfaction.
He said, “Wherever dictatorship thrives, everybody keeps quiet. The majority of my friends are in APC; I pity them. Sometimes they just look like slaves; they grumble behind the master, but they dare not speak up. I pray for them; I wish them well because that is what they have chosen for themselves. I am telling you that Nigeria must be rescued.”
Dele Momodu also asserted that the growing alignment of opposition figures has unsettled the APC.
The publisher accused the ruling party of showing signs of obvious panic despite President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to rally governors, ministers and lawmakers.
He stressed, “They (APC) cannot believe that we will have maybe four or five major opposition leaders in the country, and some people will go and put fire in their houses so that none of them will be strong enough to stand against the leader.
“It is reality; let’s not hide behind one finger. I keep saying it, Tinubu, today, despite gathering all the governors, ministers, legislators, and what have you, you can see the obvious panic in the party.”
Momodu further alleged that President Tinubu was attempting to replicate in Nigeria a political structure built in Lagos.
He emphasised that Nigeria must be rescued from one-man rule, citing the National Assembly’s inability to question Tinubu’s request for loans
He noted, “Tinubu did it in Lagos; that system has survived for 27 years. He now wants to elevate it to the national level, and, of course, Nigeria is too big for the voluminous ambition of one man. That is why people are kicking, and that is why he has to gather people by fire by force.
“We must rescue Nigeria from one-man rule. I don’t even call it a one-party dictatorship; it’s a one-man rule. They cannot talk; nobody can talk. If the president today says, ‘I want to borrow one trillion dollars,’ they will approve it in less than five minutes. That is so ridiculous.”
Asked about the prospects of the ADC ahead of the 2027 general election, Momodu expressed support for a potential alliance between former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar and 2023 presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) Peter Obi.
He added, “I’d pair him (Atiku) with Peter Obi because they worked together in 2019, so they already share a similar temperament. Peter Obi came third in the last election, so you don’t have to work too hard to maintain and attract the same group of people who love him.”