Veteran journalist and publisher Dele Momodu has argued that President Bola Tinubu’s rise to political prominence was aided by years of deliberate investment in media platforms and strategic influence-building.
Speaking during an interview on Niger Unfiltered on SYMFONI TV, Momodu said Tinubu carefully studied the political trajectory of the late MKO Abiola and developed a long-term plan that included significant investments in media.
“Tinubu invested heavily in media. He started television, started radio and was fully prepared,” Momodu said while reflecting on how the president built his public image and political network over the years.
According to Momodu, Tinubu understood the importance of controlling narratives and creating structures that could support his political ambitions. He noted that the former Lagos governor ventured into newspaper publishing, television and radio, positioning himself as a powerful force in Nigeria’s media and political landscape.
Momodu described Tinubu as a highly strategic politician who rarely acts without a clear objective. He said the president anticipated obstacles on his path to power and prepared extensively for them, investing resources and building alliances across different sectors.
Drawing comparisons with MKO Abiola, whom he described as a larger-than-life political figure, Momodu suggested that Tinubu sought to cultivate a similar aura of influence and public appeal. He argued that the president successfully established a reputation as a master strategist, a label that gained traction among supporters and political observers.
However, Momodu also questioned whether the influence and authority accumulated over the years had been deployed in ways that strengthened democratic values. He expressed concern about what he described as growing tendencies toward excessive concentration of power, insisting that democracy remains the foundation of national development.
