Dele Momodu, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has said Peter Obi should have stayed in the party to test his political strength instead of defecting.
Gatekeepers News reports that Momodu made the remark on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, reacting to the recent exit of Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso from the ADC to the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC).
According to him, remaining in the ADC would have provided Obi with a clearer measure of his popularity within the party structure.
“It’s a lot easier for Obi to test his popularity, but he ran away from testing that popularity because all it takes now is either consensus, so there are no delegates, or you go and do direct primaries.
“When you go and do the primaries, it’s every registered party member that will vote. So if you are popular, you will get the vote. But he knows that in direct, indirect, or consensus, it will be difficult for him to beat a man who brought him to national prominence in 2019,” Momodu said.
He also defended the long-standing presidential ambition of Atiku Abubakar, describing him as consistent and determined.
“Atiku meticulously and diligently pursued his dream since around 1992/1993 and has not given up. That is the hallmark of a serious politician.
“Every electoral cycle brings him closer to his destination, so I would have wished that Obi would wait and test his popularity in ADC,” he added.
Momodu further argued that Obi’s decision was influenced by pressure from his supporters, who, according to him, opposed any possibility of him accepting a vice-presidential role.
“Obi is afraid of his supporters. They already told him in advance that if he agreed to be vice president to anyone, they were going to disown him. They said it—Aisha Yesufu said it, Pat Utomi also said it publicly. So let’s stop hiding behind one finger. Obi did not leave because of Atiku; he left because he knew he lacked the capacity to take on Atiku,” he said.
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State and the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), alongside Kwankwaso, a former candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, formally joined the NDC on Sunday after a closed-door meeting with party leaders.
They were received into the party by Seriake Dickson, a former governor of Bayelsa State and a national leader of the NDC, amid cheers from supporters.
Explaining his decision, Obi cited worsening political conditions, including internal crises, external interference, and what he described as a toxic environment within party structures. He said Nigeria’s political space has become increasingly characterised by intimidation, insecurity, and persistent scrutiny.
