Dele Momodu traces ancestral home to Edo after 49 years, declares presidential intention

Dele Momodu, Publisher, Ovation Magazine, on Sunday declared that God has given the people of his community, Ihievbe, in Owan East local government area of Edo State a global champion in the person of himself, the candidacy to lead this nation, Nigeria.

Momodu who made the declaration when he was received by the people of his community in Ihievbe said, he has been practicing how to be the president of the country all these years and that the time has come for it to be truly manifested.

“I want to thank you all, my people, by the grace of Almighty God, from your mouths to God’s ears. I want to assure you that I love you, by the grace of God, we will get to that destination. I have been told that nobody can bully us in this village.

“We have integrity and that is why we have not stolen a penny. I have never been a Commissioner, I have never been a senator, I have never been a governor, I have been a journalist all my life.

”Most of my adult life, that is what I have done and I told my Uncle, we live in a country of rumour monger. Some people said don’t mind Dele, he wants to be a senator, I don’t want to be a senator, some people said he wants to be a minister, no, I am not interested, people search for it, people paid for it, I told my Uncle all I want is to be the president of the federal republic of Nigeria.

“Today is a day to say it finally, anybody who has come out as an aspirant, who thinks he has better credentials than Dele Momodu, let him present it. Anybody who says he is more qualified than your son, let him come out and show us his performance.

“Anybody who has accomplished in his private capacity, meeting president all over the world without being a president, sitting on chairs reserved for visiting president without being a president.

“You see, whatever you will become like a rich man, you start practicing it as a poor man. God Almighty saw that I will be a president one day and I started practicing how a president should be. Most of those who have governed this country, governed as local champions, today, God has given this village a global champion,” he said.

The publisher-turned-politician said his reuniting with his ancestral home has finally put an end to all the teasing from many who accused him of not knowing where he came from.

“My own people; my fathers, my mothers, my brothers and sisters; good afternoon, I am very happy to come home today. This is a day I have been looking forward to. I have our baba, I am told that our baba is 101 years old. Baba, thank you sir.

“This is a very emotional occasion for me and my wife told me don’t cry because I can imagine how my father left this village many years ago. I don’t know how he found his way to Ile Ife, settled in Ife, married my mum, and I am the only product of their marriage.

” I am so happy for this wonderful welcome. I like to thank our uncle, Yisa Braimoh, he is our father, thank you sir. You have been a distinguished senator of the federal republic of Nigeria, you will continue to be distinguished sir.

“All I have to do was to call uncle Yisa Braimoh and here we are. It’s taking me 49 years after my father’s death for me to achieve this. My father died on June 14, 1973. I was 13 years old.

“I was not brought home because at that time there was a superstition that if you go home they will kill you. So, after my father died, I told my mother who is a Yoruba woman that I want to go to my village. She was afraid that I told uncle Yisa then and I came.

“I told my mother that if they kill me, they brought me to the world, they are free to take me away. It takes courage in 2004. It takes courage to do that because I was ready to see my people. But today is the formal occasion for me to be welcomed back into this kingdom.

“Many people used to tease and taunt me that you this man, do you know where you come from? They will stop asking that question now. You can’t know where your mother comes from if you don’t know where your father comes from,” he said.

Also speaking, a former senator representing Edo North Federal Constituency, Senator Yisa Braimoh said the people of Ihievbe have decided to send him forth to rescue Nigeria for them.

“This is a glorious entry. The whole of the Ihievbe community has turned out en-masse to receive their illustrious son. A man who has achieved so much in the media; he has declared his intentions to run for the presidency. We love his homecoming and we have resolved to send him forth to rescue Nigeria for us,” he declared.

(Daily Independent)