- Urges Party to woo aggrieved APC supporters, voters
- Calls for political compromise within the opposition,
- Warns against fragmentation, in-fighting
Media entrepreneur and stalwart of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition, Dele Momodu, says the best way to confront and dislodge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 general elections is for the opposition to embrace unity, technical and strategic planning as their blueprint.
According to him, the battle ahead requires unity, experience, and technical planning rather than mere popularity, warning that fragmentation and lack of compromise will lead the party nowhere.
Speaking during a television interview, Momodu said the opposition will only make a meaningful impact if they prioritize political compromise adding: “What it takes to win an election is not just the crowd; it is not just the noise; it is not just your ideas; it is not how brilliant you are.”
The Chief Executive Officer and Publisher of celebrity magazine, Ovation International further said: “Tinubu is so formidable that you are not just going to produce a candidate who can take him out. It doesn’t work that way.”
“We must be technical about this game. You cannot compete with Tinubu in money or structure, so you must compete with strategy. Those who have ears, let them hear,” Momodu added.
Additionally, he said the importance of political structure and experience cannot be ignored in the 2027 campaign battle, stressing that lessons from previous elections indicate, “You need structures to achieve success.”
Going down memory lane, Momodu said: “I was part of the Buhari movement. The amount of money spent on monitoring every polling unit nationwide – that is what wins elections. The three major factors that affect elections are ethnicity, religion and a lot of cash”, warning that: “Time is not on our side. We must come together immediately and make a decision. How? I don’t know, but it must be done.”
Also addressing issues around the party leadership and presidential candidates, Momodu insisted that no individual should dominate the ADC, saying, “There is no one in our party who can say he owns the party, not Atiku Abubakar, not Peter Obi; nobody can make such a claim. ADC will determine who gets the ticket based on strategy, not the dictate of one man or woman.”
For him, the party already has credible contenders, including Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, noting that, “You do not need to reinvent the wheel. You already have people who have gone through this process and understand the challenges.”
Dismissing the narrative of an unwritten North-South zoning and power rotation agreement as misleading, businessman cum Motivational speaker said: “Let us stop promoting this falsehood. There has never been a time when the North did eight years and the South automatically had to do eight years. The constitution does not stop anyone from contesting.”
Specifically urging the ADC to focus its strategy on northern Nigeria, giving the growing disappointment and uneasiness within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Momodu said: “If I am to advise ADC, go to the North, where there is crisis and dissatisfaction. Those who worked for Tinubu are angry and feel abandoned. That is where the opportunity lies.”
Insisting that “There is no time to start building from scratch”, he said, “Let those who are experienced take the lead, and others can be accommodated. That is the only way to face this kind of political structure. We must guard against anything that would lead to fragmentation and political compromise within the opposition is the way to go.”
