Atiku Would Have Been Prosecuted If Corrupt — Dele Momodu Challenges Critics
A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dele Momodu, has asserted that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar would have faced prosecution long ago if he were truly guilty of corruption, given the number of administrations that had the opportunity to investigate him.
Momodu maintained that successive governments — from former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, the late Musa Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan, to the current administration of President Bola Tinubu — had ample time and institutional capacity to act if credible evidence existed against Atiku.
Speaking on Monday night during an X Space session titled “Avrilsspace: The Electoral Mathematics for 2027,” Momodu challenged critics to publicly present any verifiable proof of corruption against the former vice president.
PulseNets learnt that the veteran journalist urged anyone in possession of evidence linking Atiku to corrupt practices to approach relevant anti-graft agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), or the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
According to Momodu:
“There is virtually nothing left unwritten about Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, but the truth is that none of these allegations has ever been proven.”
He referenced Atiku’s long-standing political feud with former President Obasanjo, arguing that the intensity of that rivalry should have resulted in prosecution if there was substance to the claims.
“Even during the bitter fallout between him and Obasanjo, if Atiku was truly as corrupt as portrayed, there is absolutely no way he would have escaped trial — either then or under Yar’Adua, Jonathan, Buhari, or even now under Tinubu,” Momodu said.
He further challenged detractors to identify any instance where Atiku had been formally indicted for looting public funds or distributing state assets to associates.
“If anyone knows of any case where Atiku was indicted for stealing public property or allocating government assets to friends and cronies, they should let Nigerians know,” he added.
PulseNets reported that Momodu also described Atiku Abubakar as a principled democrat who neither promotes violence nor condones political thuggery.
Sharing personal observations, Momodu said his respect for Atiku deepened while working closely with him during the 2022–2023 election cycle.
“My admiration grew when I served as Director of Strategic Communications between 2022 and 2023. I witnessed firsthand how he managed his office — he is an experienced administrator and a true democrat who gives everyone equal access,” he stated.
Momodu emphasized that Atiku’s political style stands out in an environment often defined by aggression and intimidation.
“You will never visit Atiku’s residence and find thugs, militants, or hired crowds causing chaos. He is a cosmopolitan gentleman, and ironically, that has sometimes worked against him. People even joke that he behaves like a ‘Lagos boy,’” he said.
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Reiterating his position, Momodu concluded that any genuine evidence of wrongdoing should be taken directly to Nigeria’s anti-corruption institutions rather than being recycled through political propaganda.
“For me, if there is any valid indictment anywhere, the government should present it before the EFCC, ICPC, or the Code of Conduct Tribunal. Until then, Nigerians deserve facts, not speculation,” he told PulseNets.
