Dele Momodu has said Peter Obi should have remained in the African Democratic Congress to test his political popularity instead of defecting.
Momodu, publisher of Ovation International, made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television’s “The Morning Brief” on Wednesday, May 6.
He was reacting to the recent defection of Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso from the ADC to the Nigeria Democratic Congress. According to Momodu, Obi missed an opportunity to prove his strength within the ADC structure.
“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.
“When you go and do the primaries, it’s every registered party member that will vote. So if you are popular, you will get the vote. But he knows that in direct, indirect, or consensus, it will be difficult for him to beat a man who brought him to national prominence in 2019.”
Momodu also defended the long standing presidential ambition of Atiku Abubakar, describing him as a focused and consistent politician.
“Atiku meticulously and diligently pursued his dream since around 1992/1993 and has not given up. That is the hallmark of a serious politician,” Momodu said. “Every electoral cycle brings him closer to his destination, so I would have wished that Obi would wait and test his popularity in ADC.”
He further claimed Obi faced pressure from supporters who opposed the idea of him becoming a running mate to another presidential contender.
“Obi is afraid of his supporters. They already told him in advance that if he agreed to be vice president to anyone, they were going to disown him,” Momodu stated. “They said it. Aisha Yesufu said it, Pat Utomi also said it publicly. So let’s stop hiding behind one finger. Obi did not leave because of Atiku; he left because he knew he lacked the capacity to take on Atiku.”
Obi and Kwankwaso officially joined the NDC on Sunday, May 3, during a closed door meeting with party leaders. The two politicians were received by Seriake Dickson, who is the national leader of the NDC.
Obi had earlier explained that he left the ADC because of worsening internal crises, external interference and increasing hostility within party structures. The former Labour Party presidential candidate described Nigeria’s political environment as increasingly toxic, citing intimidation, insecurity and persistent scrutiny as major concerns.