Veteran journalist and Ovation Magazine publisher, Chief Dele Momodu, has reacted to the viral exchange between First Lady Oluremi Tinubu and Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, issuing a strongly worded critique that has stirred widespread debate online.
In a statement titled “Why You Can’t Blame Mrs Oluremi Tinubu,” Momodu described the First Lady’s public reprimand of Governor Adeleke as “totally repugnant” and “beneath her,” arguing that she exceeded her constitutional boundaries.
He stressed that the First Lady, not being an elected public officer, lacked any official mandate to “openly disgrace, insult, or bully” a sitting governor before a global audience.
He also questioned the religious optics of the confrontation, noting that it was “unbelievable that a self-professed Pastor would frown at a Governor praising God.”
Momodu added that the incident should embarrass her church and asked rhetorically whether she would have made the same remarks if a Northern governor were reciting from the Holy Qur’an.
The media executive further recounted a past encounter with Mrs Tinubu at the funeral of Chief (Mrs) Kemi Nelson in Ikeja, where he alleged that the First Lady confronted him angrily for refusing to support President Bola Tinubu’s campaign.
Momodu said he reminded her that he belonged to a different political party and chose not to escalate the confrontation out of respect for “Uncle Bola.”
Despite his sharp criticism, Momodu concluded that the First Lady represents a deeper problem rooted in Nigeria’s political culture. He argued that citizens themselves have enabled such conduct.
“I can’t really blame Mrs Oluremi Tinubu,” he wrote. “I blame the squeamish Nigerians who chose to be voluntary slaves in their own country. Shame on the cowardly people who’ve sold their inalienable rights for power.”
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