Former presidential candidate and media mogul, Dele Momodu, has issued a stark warning to political actors ahead of the 2027 general elections, cautioning that challenging President Bola Tinubu and Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, will be a formidable task.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television, Momodu described President Tinubu as a political heavyweight whose influence was immense even before assuming office. According to him, the president’s current alliance with Wike has significantly amplified his political strength, raising the stakes for any contender in the next presidential race.
“Tinubu, who is already president, even when he was not president, we faced a lot of fire,” Momodu said. “Now, when you have Tinubu and Wike on one side, then it means you have to be battle-ready; you have to assemble all your weapons and be ready for the battle ahead because 2027 is going to be like the World Cup, and you need your best players.”
The media entrepreneur also took a swipe at the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum over their rejection of the proposed opposition coalition spearheaded by former Vice President and PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. He expressed dismay that the forum’s refusal to support the coalition could inadvertently benefit President Tinubu’s administration.
The coalition, which aims to form a united front ahead of 2027, reportedly includes Atiku Abubakar, former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, and Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate. However, following a meeting in Ibadan, Oyo State, the PDP governors declared they would not join the alliance.
Momodu stressed the necessity of unity among the opposition, arguing that no individual figure could defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress on their own.
“Opposition leaders are very determined to work together this time around. The truth of the matter is that Atiku cannot do it alone, Peter Obi cannot do it alone, and Kwankwaso cannot do it alone, and whosoever wants to run,” he said.
“They have to find a way to pay the APC back in its own coin. I was one of those who supported APC in 2014 and 2015, they are going to pay them back in their own coin by at least trying to get a chunk of all the parties including APC to come together.”
He questioned the rationale behind the PDP governors’ opposition to the coalition and used historical political scenarios to argue for resilience in the face of power.
“People must learn from history and I’m a good student of political history. The only way Lagos State under Tinubu survived blistering attack from Obasanjo’s government was because they were able to stand alone. A bully only respects a bully,” Momodu said.
Lamenting the atmosphere of fear among opposition politicians, he pointed out that many are intimidated by the threat of government agencies.
“But all of us are already behaving like chicken. People panic because of Tinubu—‘Oh they are going to use EFCC, they are going to arrest me,’” he stated.
Momodu concluded his remarks by urging political actors to demonstrate courage and resist the urge to defect to the ruling party, warning of the consequences of political opportunism.
“The thing is that we all like to read about Mandela in South Africa, we all read about the Mau Mau struggle, even in Nigeria, we had the nationalists who struggled for our independence—but everybody suddenly feels power can be offered to you on a platter.
“But I can tell you that any governor, senator, or House member who may be tempted to jump ship, may jump into the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
“That is why some of us are appealing to people that this thing is doable if they agree to work together,” he said.
