Chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dele Momodu, has said former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, would have had a clearer opportunity to test his political popularity if he had remained within the party structure before defecting.
Momodu, publisher of Ovation International, stated this on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.
He was reacting to the defection of Obi and former presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, from the ADC to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), which took place on Sunday, May 3, 2026.
According to him, the ADC’s internal electoral system would have provided Obi a fair platform to measure his strength through direct, indirect, or consensus primaries, arguing that a direct primary in particular would have reflected genuine popularity among party members.
“It’s a lot easier for Obi to test his popularity, but he ran away from testing that popularity because all it takes now is either consensus, so there are no delegates, or you go and do direct primaries,” he said.
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Momodu also referenced former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, describing him as a persistent politician who has pursued his presidential ambition since the early 1990s without relenting.
“Atiku meticulously and diligently pursued his dream since around 1992/1993 and has not given up. That is the hallmark of a serious politician,” he said.
He further suggested that Obi’s exit may have been influenced by pressure from his political supporters, who he claimed had previously opposed any arrangement that would make him a vice-presidential candidate.
“They said it. Aisha Yesufu said it, Pat Utomi also said it publicly. So let’s stop hiding behind one finger,” Momodu added.
Obi and Kwankwaso were formally received into the NDC on Sunday, May 3, 2026, during a closed-door meeting with party leaders in Abuja. They were welcomed by former Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, a national leader of the party.
Their defection comes amid continued political realignments within Nigeria’s opposition space ahead of the next general election cycle.