2027: Dele Momodu lobbies ADC to consider him as Atiku’s running mate

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Veteran journalist and former presidential aspirant, Dele Momodu, has urged the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to nominate him as the running mate to the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, for the 2027 presidential election.

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Mr Momodu said a ticket comprising Atiku from the North and himself from the South would provide a strong platform to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), urging the party to depart from traditional politics.

He made the call in a statement posted on his social media platforms on Monday, accompanied by an infographic outlining how the ADC could win the presidential election if he were selected as the party’s vice-presidential candidate.

In the infographic, which has his photograph and that of Atiku inserted in a map of Nigeria, the journalists said, “The ATTRACTION OF ATIKU ABUBAKAR/DELE MOMODU TICKET,” apparently trying to highlight the merit of running with the former vice president.

He listed his qualities under the slogan, “THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR A GREATER NIGERIA,” “VOTE ADC.” as “No Political baggage,” “Global brand,” “Youth-friendly,” Media Icon Creator,” Edo/Osun parentage,” Well Educated,” “Affable” Reasonable” Detrabilised,” and “Benevolent.”

Mr Momodu, 66, had unsuccessfully run for president on the National Conscience Party (NCP) ticket in 2011. In 2023, he again declared his interest in the presidential race on the PDP platform but dropped out.

Although born in Ile-Ife, Osun State, his father, Jacob Momodu, hailed from Ihevbe in Edo State, while his mother was an indigene of Osun State.

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Atiku emerged as the ADC’s presidential candidate in May after defeating former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen in the party’s presidential primary. Both Messrs Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen rejected the outcome of the exercise before the final collation of results.

Shortly after securing the party’s ticket, the former vice president visited Mr Amaechi at his Abuja residence and Mr Hayatu-Deen at the latter’s Lagos residence, apparently to reconcile with them and engage in further political consultations ahead of the election.

However, since the meeting, Mr Amaechi has not publicly expressed further grievances over the outcome of the primaries, fuelling speculations that Atiku might pick him as his running mate.

However, another aspirant and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has remained at odds with Atiku since the primary election. Mr Lawal resigned from the ADC last Monday, alleging that the party’s primaries were manipulated in Atiku’s favour.

Shopping for a running mate

Amid the internal disagreements, Atiku has been silent on his choice of running mate, unlike Peter Obi of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who immediately selected former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso as his running mate after emerging as the NDC presidential candidate.

There have also been speculations that the ADC flagbearer has made overtures to two serving governors, Alex Otti of Abia State and Charles Soludo of Anambra State, to pick any of them as his running mate.

While Mr Otti, a first-term governor, belongs to the Labour Party (LP), Mr Soludo, who is in his second term, is a member of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).

Emergence of a third force

In his statement, Mr Momodu predicted that the 2027 presidential election would largely be a contest between Atiku and President Bola Tinubu, who is seeking re-election.

He acknowledged the possibility of a third-force candidate emerging, as happened in the 2023 election, but argued that the ADC must adopt a strategy that differs from conventional political practices.

The veteran journalist maintained that no ticket would be better positioned to challenge the ruling party than an Atiku-Momodu combination.

“The 2027 Presidential election is expected to be a major fight between PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU and his biggest challenger, ALHAJI ATIKU ABUBAKAR. It promises to be the battle of the Tians.

READ ALSO: ANALYSIS: ADC primaries expose fault lines in major opposition party

“A third force, hopefully, may show up, as it did in 2023, but not with enough firepower and tenacity to upstage and obliterate the two elder statesmen. This is why it has become pertinent and urgent for our dear party, ADC, to change the traditional way of playing politics by becoming a link between the old and the modern, the conservative and the cosmopolitan tendencies, and veteran politicians and technocrats in government. There’s no better combination than this duo, which ensures a colourful blend. The North and the South will reunite in a game of ethnic & religious rivalries,” he said.

Mr Momodu also warned that the party risked stagnation if its internal disagreements were allowed to persist, urging its leaders to return to politics driven by ideas and ideology.

“The present combustive tensions and absolute chaos cannot be allowed to continue. It will consume all of us. The time has come to retrace our steps and return to the days of robust ideas, ideologies and inspirational figures. Our founding fathers, such as Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, the Sardauna Sir Ahmadu Bello, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and others, tried their best, even if they were not perfect.

“Today, we’ve completely derailed from the legacies they bequeathed to us. The politics of gangsterism has become unbearably malignant in our nation. This is the type of strong bridge we need between the North and the South. We must act before it is too late.”