Veteran journalist and opposition figure, Dele Momodu, has said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has effectively secured Southern Nigeria ahead of the 2027 presidential election, making it nearly impossible for any southern candidate, including former President Goodluck Jonathan or former Labour Party flagbearer Peter Obi, to defeat him.
Momodu made the remarks in a post shared on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, where he analysed the current political landscape and the chances of the opposition unseating Tinubu in the next general election.
He stated that, from all indications, the South appears to be firmly in Tinubu’s grip, and the only realistic path left for the opposition is to focus on consolidating political support in Northern Nigeria.
“I still choose to be a chronic optimist even at this stage. Several scenarios may still play out. The opposition has only one option left in order to be competitive,” Momodu wrote.
“Since Tinubu has already locked down the South of Nigeria, seemingly, the opposition must work speedily to lock down the North. With common sense, this is feasible, even if difficult.”
Momodu, a former presidential aspirant and publisher of Ovation Magazine, argued that any attempt to field a southern candidate to challenge Tinubu in 2027 would be a wasted effort.
“I do not see any Southern candidate giving Tinubu any tough challenge. Not former President JONATHAN. Not former Governor PETER OBI,” he said.
“If they run, looking more like independent candidates, they will fail spectacularly.”
His comments come at a time when there are growing discussions about potential challengers to President Tinubu, who won the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Tinubu defeated Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) in a hotly contested race.
His remarks also touch on the regional dynamics of Nigerian politics, where electoral victories are often shaped by strategic alliances across North and South.
