Dele Momodu, a seasoned journalist and former presidential candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has cautioned that President Bola Tinubu may benefit from further discussion about presidential zoning before to the 2027 general election.
Momodu made the comments on Tuesday while appearing on Politics Today on Channels Television.
He maintained that if opposition politicians want to remove the incumbent, they should concentrate on strategic consensus rather than local views.
According to him, there is no justification for zoning and that opposition parties run the risk of losing ground if they insist on keeping the president in the South.
He said, “Strategically, there is no basis for zoning. Anybody who wants to remove Tinubu will have to come from the opposite direction.
“If all of them are going to split themselves into pieces, and strategically, if they are serious now, they had better go and find an Atiku or a Tambuwal from the North, because that is the only place now that is free.
“There is no zoning in the Constitution of Nigeria, so let us stop distracting ourselves,” he said.
Momodu further pointed that the North remains a decisive political bloc and could prove unbeatable if it rallies behind a single candidate.
He added that “If the North fields one candidate, nobody can defeat them. I am sure about that. Everybody who is shouting today that they want to be president is from the South.”
Urgent Calls For Southern Presidential Hopefuls Meeting
To avoid splitting the region’s votes, Momodu also advised southern presidential hopefuls such as former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde to meet immediately and consider stepping down for a consensus candidate.
He said, “I would suggest that the southern candidates should meet urgently, if possible, and maybe they will withdraw for Jonathan or for Peter Obi.
“But if Peter Obi and Jonathan and Seyi Makinde decide to continue in the race, it is going to backfire for the South.”
‘A Game Of The Big Boys’
Meanwhile, Dele Momodu has predicted that the 2027 presidential contest would be dominated by Nigeria’s most influential political figures.
“The game ahead is going to be a game of the biggest boys. President Jonathan is formidable; President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, being the current president, is extraordinarily formidable; and then the combination of Peter Obi and Kwankwaso is also going to be formidable.”
He described consensus as “the most sensible thing” if the opposition truly wants to mount a strong challenge against Tinubu in 2027. He also stressed that the opposition has no time to “waste resources” on a divisive primary process.
Join Our Social Media Channels:
WhatsApp: NaijaEyes
