[BREAKING] Dele Momodu: No Southern Candidate Can Take on Tinubu Except Maybe Jonathan, But Atiku Can
In a candid assessment of Nigeria’s 2027 political landscape, Dele Momodu, a chieftain of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), has emphasised that no southern candidate has the political weight to contend with Tinubu except for former President Goodluck Jonathan—though he doubts Jonathan’s willingness to re-enter the race.
In an interview with ARISE News on Monday, Momodu underscored that the only opposition figure who poses a serious threat to President Tinubu is Atiku Abubakar, whom he believes has the experience and extensive network necessary to mount a formidable challenge.
“My theory is very simple and straightforward. No southern candidate can take on Tinubu, except a Goodluck Jonanthan for example. But I doubt if he would want to stress himself as he is a man of contentment. The only man they fear, and that is why they are already demarketing him, is Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.”
“It is a game of numbers. It is also a game of your network. There is no one in Nigeria today as networked and experienced as Atiku Abubakar. For anybody to face a Tinubu, that person has to come from an opposite direction. By next year, Tinubu would have done about three years. I don’t see any magic or miracle he is going to perform between now and then,” Momodu stated.
While recognising that the opposition’s efforts are focused on coalition-building, Momodu expressed concerns about PDP governors refusing to join forces, implying they may be secretly supporting Tinubu’s re-election.
Recall that earlier, PDP governors firmly rejected proposals for merging with other political parties or forming coalitions. This stance was collectively affirmed during a meeting held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Monday. The PDP Governors Forum, led by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, issued a communiqué following the gathering, stating unequivocally that they will not participate in any merger or coalition aimed at challenging the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming elections.
Momodu warned that for any candidate to beat Tinubu, they must unite and consolidate the strength of all opposition parties.
“Opposition leaders are very determined this time to work together. The truth of the matter is that Atiku cannot go into it alone, Obi cannot go into it alone, Kwankwaso cannot go into it alone and likewise whosoever wants to run. So, naturally, they have to find a way to pay APC back in their own coin by at least trying to get all the chunk of all the parties to come together, including the APC.
”If our Governors are saying that oh, they don’t want to go into a coalition, then it means that surreptitiously, you are probably working for a Tinubu presidency.”
