Publisher and former presidential aspirant Dele Momodu has declared that his loyalty to President Bola Tinubu hinges entirely on the President’s commitment to the democratic ideals they once risked their lives to defend.

Speaking in an interview on Arise TV, Momodu said he would “swim to the depth of the Atlantic Ocean” for Tinubu if the administration stayed true to the principles that guided the pro-democracy struggle against military rule in the 1990s.

He warned, however, that he could not support any slide toward authoritarianism, arguing that it would betray the sacrifices made during the fight against military dictatorship.

“I will ordinarily swim to the depth of the Atlantic Ocean for Tinubu if he was practising what we fought against when we were fighting the military,” Momodu said, insisting that replacing military dictatorship with “civilian dictatorship” would make him a hypocrite.

Momodu stressed that his criticism of the President is rooted in principle, not personal animosity. He described Tinubu as a political mentor who helped shape his courage to challenge entrenched power.

“When they are abusing him, you won’t see me abusing him,” he said. “I have tremendous regards for him, and he was one of those who trained me and instilled this kind of discipline that you can take on the establishment and win. And he did win.”

Both men rose to prominence during the June 12 struggle, after the annulment of the 1993 presidential election won by Chief Moshood Abiola. Tinubu, then a senator, became a key figure in the National Democratic Coalition, NADECO, which campaigned for the validation of the mandate and a return to civilian rule.

Momodu, who worked on Abiola’s campaign, was detained for his activism before eventually fleeing into exile. Tinubu also went into exile following General Sani Abacha’s crackdown on opponents of his regime.

Their shared history has not prevented friction since Tinubu became president. Momodu has emerged as a prominent opposition voice, criticising the government’s economic policies and warning against any authoritarian drift, even as he continues to credit Tinubu for his political tutelage.

Momodu, a former presidential candidate on the platform of the National Conscience Party and now aligned with the African Democratic Congress, says his stance remains simple: unwavering respect for Tinubu as a person, and uncompromising resistance to any form of dictatorship.