By Juliet Umeh
Renowned media mogul and political commentator, Mr. Dele Momodu, has explained the reasons behind his decision to leave the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and why he is throwing his weight behind former Vice President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 presidential elections.
Speaking in a televised interview on Thursday, Momodu declared that his support for Atiku is based not on sentiment, but on a strategic understanding of Nigeria’s political reality.
He stated: “Everybody is afraid of Atiku, and that is exactly why I, Dele Momodu, support him.
“The fear the ruling party has for him shows he remains the most formidable opposition figure today. When everyone is trying to discredit or silence a man, it means he’s the one they truly fear.”
Momodu, who contested for the presidency in 2011 and took part in the PDP primaries in 2022, criticised the lack of internal democracy within the party and the persistent inability to hold meaningful meetings or unify aggrieved factions after the 2022 primaries.
He cited these as major reasons for his defection.
He said: “Since 2022, PDP has been struggling to stay alive. Those who lost the primaries, whether as presidential aspirants or would-be running mates, felt betrayed. No reconciliation meetings could be held. The party became paralyzed.”
On allegations of opportunism over frequent party defections, Momodu was blunt: “When an armed robber invades your home, your first priority is survival. “What APC is doing today is turning Nigeria into a one-party dictatorship. So what we are doing is strategic repositioning.
“You don’t play Brazil by playing Brazil’s game. We are playing APC in a way they don’t understand, and clearly, it’s working.”
He also responded to critics who argue that the opposition’s coalition is fractured by personal ambitions: “Without power, all of us are just contestants. Change cannot come unless we first take power. And power isn’t about where you come from, it’s about who can get the votes. We must stop pretending geography is more important than merit.”
Referencing Bode George’s comments that power should remain in the South, Momodu dismissed the idea as flawed logic.
He said: “This is not about zoning; it’s about numbers. The North has 19 states, the South has 17. You can’t ignore the arithmetic. If a Northerner like Atiku has the numbers and Nigerians vote for him, so be it.”
Momodu also pushed back against repeated criticisms that Atiku has contested too many times or is too old:
“If President Tinubu, who is older, is still in office, why can’t Atiku run? Buhari contested four times before winning. Abraham Lincoln lost multiple times. Even Donald Trump made a comeback. Persistence in democracy is not a sin, it’s courage.”
He reiterated his belief that Atiku remains the most viable candidate to lead Nigeria out of its current state.
“Atiku is not the enemy. The enemy is one-party rule, failed policies, and poverty. Our coalition will determine who flies the flag, but no one, especially not APC, will dictate who we support. Atiku is the man to beat.”
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