By Damilare Adeleye
A Chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dele Momodu, has dismissed the presidential prospects of former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, declaring that he lacks the political strength to unseat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 general election.
Speaking on Tuesday during an appearance on Politics Today, Momodu said Amaechi was not politically positioned to defeat any of the leading figures being projected for the next presidential race, including Peter Obi and former President Goodluck Jonathan.
“The truth of the matter is that Rotimi Amaechi does not have the capacity to defeat Peter Obi, to defeat Goodluck Jonathan, or to defeat Bola Tinubu,” Momodu said.
“He is my very good friend, and if I can tell Tinubu the truth, then I should be able to tell Amaechi the truth. He does not have that capacity. That is the truth,” he added
Momodu warned that any attempt by Amaechi to pursue what he described as a political game ahead of the 2027 election could prove counterproductive to opposition efforts aimed at removing Tinubu from office.
According to him, politicians seeking to wrest power from the ruling establishment must understand the voting patterns and political realities that shaped previous elections.
“Anybody who is serious about getting power away from Tinubu should know that there is a pattern to elections,” he stated.
The ADC stalwart also defended former Vice President Atiku Abubakar against claims that he was no longer electorally viable, insisting that Atiku remained one of the strongest opposition figures in the country based on his performance in the 2023 presidential election.
Momodu cited voting figures across the six geopolitical zones, arguing that Atiku’s nationwide spread and electoral performance could not be dismissed.
“In fact, the most unfortunate thing that my friend said was that Atiku is ineligible. How can you say that?” he queried.
Referencing the 2023 election results, Momodu noted that Atiku secured millions of votes across the North-West, North-East, South-West, North-Central, and South-South regions, maintaining that such a performance demonstrated continued political relevance.
He also rejected calls for zoning ahead of the 2027 presidential election, arguing that the Nigerian Constitution does not mandate power rotation.
“There is no basis for zoning. Anybody who wants to remove Tinubu would have to come from the opposite direction.”
“If all of them are going to split themselves into pieces, then strategically, if the ADC is serious now, they had better go and find an Atiku or a Tambuwal from the North because that’s the only place now that is free. There is no zoning in the constitution of Nigeria,” Momodu declared.
The media veteran further predicted that the 2027 presidential contest would be dominated by heavyweight political figures and formidable alliances.
“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.
Momodu’s remarks come amid increasing political realignments and speculation over possible coalitions ahead of the 2027 presidential election.