Ambassador-designate fires back at Ovation publisher over “thug” label, reveals private conversations
By Our Correspondent, Abuja
The war of words between Ambassador-designate Femi Fani-Kayode and publisher Dele Momodu took a fresh turn on Thursday, with Fani-Kayode issuing a sharp rebuttal to Momodu’s latest salvo and warning that he possesses “receipts” of their last engagements.
In a lengthy statement posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Fani-Kayode dismissed Momodu’s characterisation of him as an “incurable thug” and challenged the Ovation Magazine publisher to produce evidence of any reconciliation attempts initiated by the Ambassador-designate.
“I have NEVER reached out to you privately for reconciliation. NEVER. If you have evidence about that, please publicise it now. I must remind you that, if I am nothing, I am at least a meticulous recordkeeper. I know what you and I have discussed privately, and it serves no one’s interests to expose our discussions publicly. But if you choose to go that route, note that I do not talk without receipts”, Fani-Kayode wrote.
The fresh salvo came just 24 hours after Momodu published an open letter urging President Bola Tinubu to “rehabilitate” Fani-Kayode before posting him to Germany, describing the former Aviation Minister as a “querulous, garrulous and cantankerous” individual and a “classic case of wasted investment” .
“I warned you about your health”
In his response, Fani-Kayode offered a surprising explanation for previous private contact between both men—one he claimed Momodu has now twisted for public sympathy.
According to Fani-Kayode, he had reached out to Momodu not to apologise or beg for publicity, as Momodu had alleged days earlier, but out of genuine concern for the publisher’s health .
“Because of your weight and the fact that you had previously told me you do not spend more than four days in any physical location and are always travelling, despite the negative things you had written and said about me, I called you to warn you to always travel with aspirin or any other blood thinner to avoid sudden death syndrome, which can result from Deep Vein Thrombosis, caused by frequent air flights,” Fani-Kayode revealed .
The Ambassador-designate explained that his concern stemmed from personal tragedy—the sudden death of a close friend from Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), who nearly became Inspector General of Police. He described Momodu as “overweight” and “a heavy and constant eater,” warning that travelling frequently without blood thinners posed significant health risks.
“That you would twist my kind and brotherly gesture out of concern for your health as having ‘reached out to me, privately, either begging for publicity or apologising for attacking me publicly’ is sad. But such is life,” Fani-Kayode added .
Social media supremacy battle
The former minister also took aim at Momodu’s claim of superior social media influence, following Momodu’s earlier boast that he commands “a far greater following” than Fani-Kayode and his “dead magazine, Ovation” .
“Who are you that I should beg you publicly? On all social media platforms, I command a far greater following than you and your dead magazine, Ovation,” Fani-Kayode asserted.
He further cited his recognition by global platforms: “For goodness’ sake, I was listed among the most talked-about people in Africa by Google. You were not even mentioned! Ovation did not feature. I was voted the most influential influencer in Africa by Business Insider, the world’s top business magazine. You were not even acknowledged” .
“It is me you need, not the other way around. It pains me to have to say this, as it is not my nature to boast. But you can’t put out such and expect me not to respond,” he added .
“You’re too sensitive for politics”
Fani-Kayode proceeded to offer Momodu political advice, suggesting the veteran publisher lacks the temperament for Nigeria’s rough-and-tumble political terrain.
“Dele Momodu, you are, sadly, too sensitive for politics. You should have focused on entertainment. You have poor political feelers, and do not know when people are trying to be easy on you because of past friendships,” he wrote .
The Ambassador-designate specifically referenced Momodu’s recent comparison of President Tinubu’s administration to the military regime of the late General Sani Abacha—comments Momodu made during a Channels Television interview on Sunday .
“You called the President an economic failure and accused him of being like General Sani Abacha, a murderer and looter, and you say that is not an insult?” Fani-Kayode queried .
He advised Momodu to “stay in your lane” and focus on his role as “Nigeria’s pioneer hype-man,” insisting that “entertainment is very different from politics” .
Political relevance questioned
Fani-Kayode further questioned Momodu’s political value, contrasting his own political support base with what he described as Momodu’s isolation.
“I was nominated as an Ambassador by President Tinubu and my State Governor, and the three Senators from my state, as well as the Federal cabinet minister from Delta, all united and publicly associated with me and supported me,” Fani-Kayode boasted .
“The Chairman of the ruling party from my state was with me throughout the process of my confirmation. In your home state of Edo, who can you count on?” he asked .
He concluded with a dismissive recommendation: “Dele, you should focus on hyping fading Big Brother contestants and leave politics to those with a thick enough skin to take barbs and give back in good measure” .
Background to the feud
The explosive exchange marks the latest chapter in a long-running public spat between both men. The current round of hostilities began when Momodu, during a Channels Television interview on Sunday, described President Tinubu as a “potential dictator” and claimed some observers had compared his administration unfavourably to the Abacha military regime .
On Monday, Fani-Kayode responded by dismissing Momodu’s remarks as evidence of “a degenerating and worrisome level of cognitive dissonance,” adding that Momodu “sounded drained, tired and broken” during the interview .
Momodu escalated further on Wednesday, issuing a statement titled “Reno Omokri & Femi Fani-Kayode: A Tale of Two Shameless Friends,” in which he described both pro-Tinubu commentators as “perpetual agents of perfidy” with no credibility .
In that statement, Momodu claimed both men had, at different times, privately reached out to him “either begging for publicity or apologising for attacking me publicly”—an assertion Fani-Kayode has now vehemently denied .
The former minister also claimed that Momodu had previously encouraged him to be patient about securing a political appointment and witnessed his “deep frustration and depression” when none seemed forthcoming. According to Fani-Kayode, Momodu alleged that the Ambassador-designate had even considered reaching out to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as a “Plan B” should his hopes of serving under Tinubu fade .
Thursday’s response from Fani-Kayode suggests the war of words is far from over, with the Ambassador-designate threatening to release more “receipts” should Momodu continue his attacks.
Neither party indicated any willingness to back down.
Discussion about this post