Dele Momodu, publisher of Ovation magazine and a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, has declared former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his preferred candidate for the party’s 2027 presidential ticket.
He made this known on Wednesday, March 25, during an appearance on The Morning Show on Arise TV, where he outlined what he described as a strategic path for the party ahead of the next general elections.
“My preference is Atiku. I have never minced words on that,” Momodu said.
He explained that his position is rooted in experience and political calculation, stressing that the ADC already has strong contenders from the last election and should not “reinvent the wheel.”
“We have in the ADC today, at least two of the leading contestants in the last election. So you do not need to reinvent the wheel. What it takes to win an election is not just the crowd, noise, ideas or how brilliant you are,” he said.
“Go back to the drawing board and look at how Buhari captured power in 2015. Right now, 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.”
Momodu also urged the party to adopt a regional strategy, recommending that the presidential ticket be zoned to the north, particularly the north-east, where he believes there is strong electoral advantage.
“My advice to ADC is simple: time is not on our side. I have attempted to contest twice — in 2011 and 2023 — and I know that the head of an elephant is not a child’s play,” he said.
According to him, the party should focus on areas where dissatisfaction with the ruling All Progressives Congress is growing, noting that this could provide a pathway to victory.
READ ALSO: Momodu: I Joined ADC to Rescue Nigeria, Not Seek Political Office
“In matters of strategy, ADC must go to a part of the country where there are the most disgruntled people against the APC.
“The people who worked for Tinubu to become president were partly the Buhari gang. Today, they are angry and disappointed that they have been abandoned,” he said.
“Nasir el-Rufai is languishing in detention, Abubakar Malami is being harassed up and down. So, that team is waiting for ADC to capture. When you go in that direction, you have Atiku, Aminu Tambuwal, el-Rufai and others.
“Let ADC go all out to capture. If you pick Atiku, he comes from the north-east, where the APC currently has the vice-president. But I am sure the north-east, which is a major catchment area, would be very happy to have a president.”
Momodu further drew comparisons with political developments in other countries, arguing that factors such as age do not necessarily determine electoral outcomes.
“You would remember that Joe Biden was removed from the radar by the Democrats in America. They said he was old and senile. Then the Democrats brought Kamala Harris.
“She raised a lot of money [for the campaign]. A lot of us really liked her. But at the end of the day, she could not defeat Donald Trump,” he said.
“Everything, including old age, was said against Donald Trump, but he defeated Kamala. In Liberia, where we have Joseph Boakai, the old man was able to take out George Weah, the biggest and most famous Liberian alive.”
He maintained that defeating President Bola Tinubu in 2027 would require more than popularity, insisting that strong structure, coordination, and consensus would be decisive factors.