In a recent post on Instagram, Veteran journalist, publisher, and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain Dele Momodu has broken his silence on the June 12 National Honors list released by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, offering a measured yet pointed response that is drawing significant attention in political and civic circles.
In his statement issued from Accra, Ghana, Momodu addressed growing questions surrounding his exclusion from the list, which honored democracy activists and pro-June 12 voices, including MKO and Kudirat Abiola, as well as other key figures in Nigeria’s democratic struggle.
Rather than express outrage or offense, Momodu chose nuance.
“I wish to humbly disagree with all those who have reached out to me protesting or complaining that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ‘deliberately’ missed out my name in the June 12 Honors’ List,” he wrote.
He acknowledged that honors are given at the discretion of any administration, and pointed out that several deserving names were also absent from the list. Still, Momodu’s tone shifted subtly when he suggested that being honored by the current administration might have been morally conflicting for him.
“I would have been embarrassed to be recognized by a regime that’s unapologetically trampling on tenets of democracy,” he stated, referencing what he views as the autocratic drift of the Tinubu presidency.
Despite his sharp criticisms of the APC-led government, Momodu was careful not to descend into personal animosity. He reiterated his long-standing personal respect for President Tinubu, whom he described as “a friend and mentor,” crediting him for previous opportunities and his place in Nigeria’s political and media history.
“Thank you, Mr. President, for sparing me the dilemma of either rejecting or being misunderstood for accepting an honor that might contradict my principles,” he added.
In closing, Momodu congratulated all honorees on the list, framing his message as one of dignified dissent rather than bitterness. The statement has since gone viral on Nigerian social media, where reactions are split: many see his response as an act of integrity, while others argue it reflects lingering political wounds from Tinubu’s rise to power in 2023.
See the screenshots of his post below:
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