African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain and publisher Dele Momodu has urged Nigerians to stop centering the 2027 presidential race entirely on former Labour Party candidate Peter Obi, warning that the fixation is crowding out more urgent national conversations.
Speaking on ARISE NEWS on Tuesday night, May 12, Momodu argued that the intense focus on Obi and the zoning debate was pulling public attention away from pressing problems including insecurity, poor electricity supply, and weak governance.
He said political discourse had been reduced to questions of regional origin rather than competence and practical solutions, describing the situation as a calculated distraction engineered to benefit those already in power.
“I think it’s like someone has hypnotized us,” Momodu said, lamenting that conversations about electricity failures and collapsing security had been drowned out by arguments over where presidential candidates come from.
Momodu accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of deliberately stoking the zoning debate as a strategy to retain the presidency in 2027. He claimed President Bola Tinubu had encouraged a North-versus-South narrative to fragment opposition unity. He noted that while zoning may carry political significance, nothing in Nigeria’s constitution prevents any citizen from contesting the presidency regardless of region.
On speculation about a potential alliance between Obi and former Kano governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, Momodu was firmly dismissive. He rejected the notion that such a partnership would automatically deliver victory, insisting that elections are decided by structure, numbers, and strategy rather than online popularity.
