Media mogul and publisher of Ovation International Dele Momodu serenaded guests at the grand opening of his Leadership Centre in Ibadan on Wednesday, ahead of his 65th birthday.
In a lively moment that caught the attention of many, Momodu joined the performing musician on stage and sang along, entertaining guests.
The event was part of the celebration leading to his 65th birthday, which holds on Friday.
Among the dignitaries present was Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, who delivered a heartfelt and humorous speech about his long-standing friendship with Momodu.
Speaking at the event, Governor Adeleke recalled how Momodu began to avoid him after he attained a political position.
“When I became a senator, he (Dele Momodu) was running away from me. I kept calling and calling, ‘Why are you running away from me? Is it because I’m a senator?’” he said.
He continued, “I invited him to the hotel I was staying. I told him, if you don’t come, our friendship is over. When he finally came, I told him, ‘Please don’t run away from me.’ And he responded, ‘That is how a lot of people behave, when they become something, they change.’”
The governor said he quickly assured Momodu that he wasn’t like that. “I told him, I am not changing. I love all my old friends. He is my adviser without portfolio. He is always supporting me.”
Adeleke also recalled how Momodu stood by him when he lost the 2018 governorship election in Osun.
“When they cheated me in 2018, he came to me and said, ‘My brother, don’t worry, it’s not yet time. When it’s your time, you will get it.’ If you think you can use money to buy Dele, you are wasting your time.”
Touching on criticism of his public dancing, Adeleke added, “I have come into this governance with a different idea. When I came in, they said a governor cannot dance. I said, kiss my ass.”
Dele Momodu, a seasoned journalist and businessman, is the CEO of Ovation Media Group.
He contested the 2011 presidential election under the National Conscience Party and later aligned with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
