The entry of Dele Momodu, publisher of Ovation International, into the orbit of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Edo State adds a familiar but calculated dimension to the state’s opposition politics: media warfare.
Momodu’s move has been framed by ADC supporters as a strategic acquisition — not necessarily for grassroots mobilisation or electoral delivery, but for narrative control.
In Nigerian politics, perception often precedes performance, and this is the space Momodu knows best.
A strategy built on optics, not structure.
Historically, Dele Momodu has thrived more as a media combatant than as a political organiser. From multiple presidential ambitions to shifting alliances across party lines, his political record shows visibility without victory. He commands attention, not machinery.
That reality matters. Momodu is unlikely to deliver votes in bulk. What he can deliver — and will almost certainly attempt — is pressure through publicity.
ADC’s calculation is straightforward: deploy Momodu to:
Shape hostile narratives against the ruling establishment.
Amplify governance lapses, real or exaggerated.
Create international-facing content that embarrasses incumbents.
Push selective stories into foreign and elite Nigerian media spaces.
Manufacture momentum where organisational depth is thin.
This is not grassroots politics. It is perception politics.
Media war as leverage.
Momodu’s strength lies in agenda-setting.
Expect a steady flow of:
Opinion pieces framing Edo as “mismanaged” or “directionless”.
Emotional storytelling around isolated governance failures.
Elite interviews and international media mentions.
Strategic use of nostalgia, grievance, and moral positioning.
This is classic leverage politics: make governance uncomfortable enough to force reactions, concessions, or defensive missteps.
The danger for the Edo government is not electoral defeat by ADC — that is unlikely — but narrative ambush.
A pattern of inconsistency.
There is also the historical factor that the public should not ignore.
Momodu has repeatedly shifted political loyalties, often departing alliances on bad terms.
Notably, he was once a close media ally of Nyesom Wike, retained for perception management over several years. That relationship eventually collapsed, amid public recriminations and accusations of betrayal. The fallout reinforced a pattern critics often cite: proximity, influence, rupture.
This inconsistency weakens Momodu’s credibility as a principled opposition figure, even as it underscores his willingness to weaponise media access when relationships sour.
Why APC should not panic — but must prepare.
From a hard political standpoint, Momodu does not pose an existential threat to the All Progressives Congress (APC). He has never successfully translated media noise into electoral success. His political interventions generate headlines, not outcomes.
However, complacency would be a mistake.
Opposition parties rarely win by strength alone; they win when incumbents are slow, reactive, or dismissive of perception battles. ADC’s positioning — with Momodu as its megaphone — suggests a strategy of attrition through narrative.
The rational response: professionalism, not propaganda.
The logical counter is not abuse or dismissal, but competence and preparedness.
It would be politically sensible for the Edo government to:
Strengthen its media and strategic communications team with the appointment of a vibrant, skilful media Consultant with perception management expertise.
Anticipate attack lines and pre-empt them with facts.
Communicate policy outcomes clearly and consistently.
Engage credible media professionals through the media consultant, not political praise-singers.
Monitor digital narratives before they metastasise.
In modern politics, silence is not dignity; it is vulnerability.
Conclusion.
Dele Momodu’s alignment with ADC in Edo State is less about building a winning opposition and more about creating political discomfort through media pressure. He brings noise, not numbers. Optics, not organisation.
For the ruling party, this is not a call for alarm — but it is a call for strategic maturity. Politics is no longer fought only at polling units. It is fought daily, online, on television, and in international opinion spaces.
Those who ignore that reality do so at their own peril.
Dr. G. Fraser. MFR.
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