By Ameh Sunday Enyo-ojo
A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, Dele Momodu, has argued that former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has more national political and executive experience than President Bola Tinubu and former Anambra State governor Peter Obi ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Momodu stated this on Wednesday during an interview in Ogun State.
He said Atiku’s experience at the highest level of government, particularly his eight years as vice-president under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, distinguished him from other prominent political figures.
According to Momodu, Atiku’s political journey dates back to the 1992 presidential primary of the Social Democratic Party, where he contested against the late Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola before stepping down for him.
He said Atiku demonstrated democratic values by accepting the decision without creating a political crisis, despite not emerging as Abiola’s running mate.
Momodu said, “He is the only one who started from around 1992, contested the SDP primary against M.K.O. Abiola and, after he stepped down for Abiola, Abiola became victorious in their party, SDP, and eventually went on to win the presidential race on June 12, 1993.
“He was appealed to step down for M.K.O. Abiola, and he did this with uncommon equanimity. He did not make any noise; he did not make any fuss about it. That was the first time he was able to show himself up as a true democrat.”
The media entrepreneur added that Atiku was among the founders and financiers of the Peoples Democratic Party before serving as vice-president between 1999 and 2007.
Comparing Atiku with Obi, the ADC chieftain acknowledged the latter’s record as governor of Anambra State but argued that his experience was largely concentrated at the state level.
“Of course, Peter Obi has tried his best. His best was demonstrated in Anambra State in the South-East of Nigeria, while Atiku’s best is at the level of vice-president, controlling, managing the economy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Momodu said.
He added, “So, the difference is clear between both of them. He has matured in peace, in experience, and in exposure.”
Momodu also compared Atiku’s political experience with that of Tinubu, whose political career includes service as a senator during the Third Republic, two terms as governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007 and a prominent role in the formation of the All Progressives Congress.
Tinubu won the 2023 presidential election after emerging as the APC candidate, succeeding former President Muhammadu Buhari.
However, Momodu argued that Tinubu’s experience had been shaped largely by his years in Lagos, adding that governing Nigeria required a different approach from administering the state.
“What I’m trying to say is that Tinubu’s experience was limited to Lagos, and that is why when he became president, he thought Nigeria was Lagos. And he has found out now that Nigeria is not Lagos,” he said.
The ADC chieftain also questioned the economic outcomes of Tinubu’s administration, arguing that the prosperity promised by the government had yet to be felt by Nigerians.
“Well, we are yet to see that prosperity, and if yesterday would determine today and tomorrow, it is obvious that Tinubu should retire now and let someone else do it,” Momodu added.
Atiku contested the 2019 presidential election with Obi as his running mate under the PDP but lost to Buhari. In 2023, Atiku again contested for president under the PDP, while Obi ran on the platform of the Labour Party, emerging as a major opposition figure.
As political alignments ahead of the 2027 general election continue to develop, Momodu maintained that Atiku’s experience at the national level made him a significant contender in discussions about the opposition’s presidential prospects.
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