A Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dele Momodu, has stated that his party has not marginalized the southern region, and argued that only a candidate from the North can mount a serious challenge to President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential race.
During a recent interview on Arise TV, Momodu responded to the defection of former Delta State governor and PDP’s 2023 vice-presidential candidate, Ifeanyi Okowa, to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He described Okowa’s decision as purely self-serving and questioned the timing of his move.
“Going to the APC [for Okowa] was an opportunistic move. Why the hurry? Tinubu has not even done half-time,” Momodu said during the broadcast.
Momodu also addressed the claims made by Okowa that Atiku Abubakar, the PDP’s 2023 presidential flagbearer, was on his way to the APC. Refuting the claim, Momodu pointed out that Atiku has never been one to play politics desperately.
“The Atiku that I know is not a desperate politician; his description is that of a consummate democrat. I met him about three to four weeks ago in Abuja, and he told me politics for him is a game that should be played in a clean manner. You win, fine; you don’t, you go back to the drawing board. That is why you will never find thugs in front of his house.”
He followed up by stressing, “To say Atiku is going to APC is impossible; I can guarantee you.”
According to Momodu, the idea that Atiku’s personal ambitions have always guided the PDP’s direction is false. He noted that the party’s history shows it has shared power between regions fairly over the years. He listed the transition from Obasanjo to Yar’Adua and then to Goodluck Jonathan as evidence of balance within the party’s leadership choices.
Momodu said, “PDP does not have a North-South problem. The PDP fielded General Obasanjo from 1999 to 2007. Thereafter, Yar’Adua came in but unfortunately passed away in office, and Goodluck Jonathan completed the term. Jonathan then did another four years, ending in 2015. They still gave him the ticket again that year, which he lost to Buhari. Had he won, southerners would have ruled for 17 of the PDP’s 20 years in power.”
He further questioned the popular notion of rotational presidency based on regional lines. “People say it should be eight years North, then eight years South—under which constitution?” he asked.
In his view, the PDP has shown fairness to all zones and doesn’t need to follow an unofficial rotational formula to prove that.
Momodu also revisited the 2023 primary season, claiming that Atiku had backed the idea of zoning the presidency to the South-East. He suggested that Labour Party’s Peter Obi left the PDP due to internal frustrations, and that Nyesom Wike had at one time agreed to be Atiku’s running mate.
Reacting to Bayo Onanuga, a key aide to President Tinubu, who had dismissed the possibility of any successful opposition alliance, Momodu remained hopeful. He insisted that a strong coalition remains the best way to challenge the current administration.
“It will not happen until it has been tried and tested,” he said. He added that based on the political dynamics, “Tinubu can only be countered this time by a northerner. Any southerner telling you they want to contest against Tinubu is only wasting their time.”
Momodu concluded that for the opposition to win in 2027, it must respond strategically. “The PDP or the coalition also want power, and the only way they can get it is to go by Isaac Newton’s law of actions and reactions, which are always equal and opposite. So, they will come from the opposite direction; I can guarantee that.”
