Media mogul and ADC chieftain Dele Momodu has criticized former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, claiming the politician missed a golden opportunity to prove his electoral worth by defecting from the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
According to Momodu, Obi’s recent move to the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) alongside Rabiu Kwankwaso was a strategic retreat caused by a fear of facing former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in an open contest.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, Momodu argued that the internal mechanisms of the ADC would have provided the perfect stage for Obi to validate his perceived massive following.
Momodu argued that Obi avoided a necessary confrontation.
“It’s a lot easier for Obi to test his popularity, but he ran away from testing that popularity, whether it is consensus, direct primaries, or indirect primaries, he knows it would be difficult to beat the man who brought him to national prominence in 2019,” he said.
Momodu highlighted that in a direct primary system, every registered party member votes, offering a transparent metric of a candidate’s reach. By exiting the party, Obi effectively sidestepped this litmus test.
Momodu contrasted Obi’s recent party-hopping with the persistence of Atiku Abubakar. He praised Atiku’s meticulous and diligent pursuit of the presidency since the early 1990s, describing it as the hallmark of a serious political contender.
Momodu further alleged that the former Anambra State Governor is essentially held hostage by his own supporters.
Momodu concluded by noting that every electoral cycle should bring a candidate closer to their goal through proven strength, a chance he believes Peter Obi has now squandered.