LP, a money-making machine –Dele Momodu

By Olusola Balogun
www.sunnewsonline.com


Publisher of Ovation Magazine, Bashorun Dele Momodu, on Saturday provoked fresh controversy over his sudden resignation from the Labour Party (LP) when he alleged that he quit the party because it has been turned into a money-making venture.

Momodu, who is aspiring to contest the 2011 Presidential election, during the week announced his resignation from the LP. The leadership of the party however said Momodu left because he does not have the funds to prosecute his presidential campaign and because the party failed to give assurances to his foreign backers that he would emerge its candidate.

But Momodu while joining the National Conscience Party (NCP) in Lagos, yesterday, dismissed the excuse, insisting that he left “because the leadership of LP wants to use the party to milk its aspirants. They asked that every Presidential aspirant should pay N10million and Vice President N8million and I asked them why do they think we can pay the same amount with President Goodluck Jonathan who has a tap of money in his bedroom. I’m not saying we can’t pay administrative fee but N10million is just too much. Am I a thief? Where do they think I can get such money when there is still a lot of things to spend money on?”

Momodu told the gathering that included the national chairman of the party, Femi Falana: “The last straw that broke the camel’s back was the interview by the national chairman of the party where he said that the party is not obliged to present a Presidential candidate for the party. I asked him if he said to but he didn’t say anything, but I asked the secretary of the party and he told me that the party cants suffer for anyone. I asked what is the party for if not to assist the people to get good governance? At that point I realised that this is not a serious party that has the welfare of the people at heart.”

The publisher, who didn’t deny that some foreign donors were waiting to assist his aspiration, asked: “They said that some people are calling to ask if I am the candidate, does that not tell them that I’m an international figure and I have international acceptance?”

Momodu while claiming to have reported in over 60 countries in African, America and Europe, explained that he is aspiring to rule Nigeria so that he can “replicate the good things that he has seen in several advanced nations”
Falana in his speech described the decision of the Publisher to join the NCP as a welcome development.
He contended that the aspiration of Momodu is not odd, maintaining, “Some people might say he is a Yoruba man and that a Yoruba man just had eight years but the man that left the place is not useful to anyone. 

He was useful to perhaps only himself. He came out of prison with just N25, 000 in his account but heft the position with several billion of Naira in his account. Nobody should tell me Dele is a Yoruba man and is therefore not qualified. The democratic credential that anyone needs to contest is whether he is ready to serve the people. I know Dele Momodu for over 30 years; he is a man that loves the people and he will sere the people very well.”