The publisher of Ovation Magazine, Dele Momodu, has effectively ruled out Labour Party’s Peter Obi from the 2027 presidential contest, insisting that the next election will be a straight fight between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Momodu, in a statement titled “Time for National Reconciliation, Re-Orientation & Reconstruction” shared on his X handle on Monday, said Nigeria’s political landscape is shaping up into a two-horse race dominated by the incumbent and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) standard-bearer.
“The 2027 Presidential election is expected to be a major fight between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his biggest challenger, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. It promises to be the battle of the Titans,” he said.
He acknowledged the possibility of a third-force movement emerging ahead of the polls—similar to what occurred in 2023—but argued that such a platform would likely lack the strength to dislodge the two dominant political figures.
“A third force, hopefully, may show up, like it did in 2023, but not with enough fire power and tenacity to upstage, and obliterate, the two elder statesmen,” Momodu stated.
His remarks are being interpreted as sidelining other opposition figures, including Peter Obi, who finished third in the 2023 presidential election and remains a prominent voice in Nigeria’s opposition politics.
Beyond electoral projections, Momodu urged the ADC to position itself as a unifying platform bridging Nigeria’s old political order with emerging leadership, calling for a blend of veteran politicians and technocrats to strengthen national cohesion ahead of 2027.
He also warned that rising ethnic and religious tensions could further strain the country’s political environment if not carefully managed, stressing the need for a return to issue-based politics.
“The North and the South will reunite in a game of ethnic and religious rivalries… The present combustive tensions, and absolute chaos, cannot be allowed to continue. It will consume all of us,” he warned.
Momodu further lamented what he described as the erosion of ideology and statesmanship in Nigeria’s democracy, urging political actors to embrace reconciliation, unity, and a revival of value-driven leadership reminiscent of the country’s founding figures, including Nnamdi Azikiwe, Ahmadu Bello, and Obafemi Awolowo.
