Veteran journalist and former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant, Dele Momodu, has cautioned that ongoing arguments surrounding the zoning of the presidency ahead of the 2027 general elections could tilt the playing field to the advantage of President Bola Tinubu.
Momodu shared these insights on Tuesday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
He maintained that opposition figures must prioritize strategic alliance over regional configurations if they are genuinely committed to defeating the incumbent leader.
According to the Ovation magazine publisher, there is no logical ground for zoning at this time, warning that opposition movements will only dilute their electoral prospects if they keep demanding that the presidency must be preserved for the South.
“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.
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The media businessman pointed out that the North stands as a critical voting bloc capable of becoming an unstoppable political force if it unites behind a sole flagbearer.
“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,” he said.
Furthermore, Momodu counseled southern presidential hopefuls—including former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde—to convene an urgent meeting to evaluate stepping down for a consensus candidate, thereby preventing a division of southern votes.
“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,” he said.
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Looking ahead, Momodu foresaw that the 2027 presidential race would be a battleground heavily controlled by the country’s most powerful political heavyweights.
“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 said.
He concluded by defining a consensus agreement as “the most sensible thing,” emphasizing that opposition forces do not have the luxury “to waste resources” on a fragmented primary race if they want to build a formidable front against Tinubu in 2027.
Momodu’s remarks come at a time of rising deliberations within opposition circles, notably inside the African Democratic Congress (ADC), regarding plans to adopt a single consensus candidate under the umbrella of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
