By Ibrahim Kegbegbe
A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dele Momodu, has declared that key political figures who played major roles in the emergence of former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 are now positioned to help the ADC unseat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Momodu made this assertion on Wednesday during an interview on The Morning Show, a programme on Arise News, where he also openly expressed his support for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his preferred presidential candidate for the ADC.
According to him, the ADC already has within its fold experienced political heavyweights capable of mounting a formidable challenge against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Buhari’s 2015 Strategy Still Relevant
Reflecting on the political coalition that brought Buhari to power in 2015, Momodu noted that electoral victory requires more than popularity or rhetoric, stressing that strategy and political alliances remain decisive factors.
“We have in ADC today two of the leading presidential contestants in the last election, so you do not need to reinvent the wheel,” Momodu said.
“To win an election is not just about the crowd or the noise, not just the ideas or how brilliant you are. You must go back to the drawing board and look at how Buhari captured power in 2015. I was part of those who worked at that time, even though I was not a member of the APC.”
He emphasized that defeating an incumbent president like Tinubu would require a carefully built coalition similar to the one that led to the historic defeat of a sitting government in 2015.
Key Political Figures Identified
Momodu identified prominent politicians such as former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, former Attorney General of the Federation Abubakar Malami, former Sokoto State governor Aminu Tambuwal, and Atiku as influential figures who could strengthen ADC’s chances.
He suggested that many of those who previously supported Tinubu’s presidential ambition are now politically disenchanted and could become valuable allies for the ADC.
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“Tinubu is so formidable that you are not just going to produce a candidate that would take him out. It doesn’t work that way,” he said.
“The people who worked for Tinubu to become President were partly in Buhari’s political camp and today some of them feel abandoned. That team is waiting for ADC to capture politically.”
Atiku as Preferred Candidate
Momodu was unequivocal in stating his preference for Atiku, citing his political experience and regional advantage as factors that could boost ADC’s electoral prospects.
“I have my preference and that is Atiku,” he stated.
“If you pick Atiku, he comes from the North-East where APC currently has the vice president, and that region would be excited about the possibility of producing a President for the first time.”
Lessons From International Politics
Drawing parallels from international politics, Momodu referenced the recent United States presidential election to illustrate the unpredictability of electoral contests and the importance of candidate selection.
“You will remember what happened in America when the Democrats replaced Joe Biden with Kamala Harris. She raised a lot of money, which I admired, but at the end of the day she could not defeat Donald Trump,” he said.
The Merit Newspaper reports that Momodu argued that beyond funding and popularity, political structure and voter sentiment often determine electoral outcomes.
ADC’s Path to 2027
Momodu reiterated by advising the ADC leadership to strategically focus on regions where dissatisfaction with the ruling party may be strongest, insisting that the party must build a broad coalition if it hopes to take power in 2027.
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Political observers say the comments may further intensify early permutations ahead of the 2027 general elections, as opposition parties continue consultations aimed at building viable alliances against the ruling APC.
