A FORMER presidential aspirant and media entrepreneur, Chief Dele Momodu, has identified former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar; ex-Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, and former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi as the leading contenders for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 general election.
Momodu made the disclosure on Thursday while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily monitored by News Point Nigeria, where he discussed the evolving opposition coalition and the growing influence of the ADC as a platform for challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to Momodu, Atiku Abubakar currently tops the list of potential ADC flagbearers, citing his extensive experience at the highest level of governance.
“Today, if you ask me in ADC, there are prominent potential candidates. Number one on the list today will be Alhaji Atiku Abubakar because he was a vice president,” Momodu said.
“He has played at the highest level, having served as vice president for eight years. He started contesting for the presidency as far back as 1993 when he stepped down for Chief Abiola.”
Momodu also highlighted the political pedigree of former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, describing him as one of the most experienced political figures within the emerging coalition.
“The next person will be Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, who has been Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly for eight years,” he said.
“He has been governor for eight years and a minister for eight years. That is a long record of public service.”
The veteran journalist further named Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, as another strong contender within the ADC fold.
“Then we will go to Peter Obi, who also served as governor of Anambra State for two terms,” Momodu added.
He urged members of the ADC and the broader opposition coalition to set aside personal ambitions and sentiments in order to build a united front capable of defeating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.
According to him, the ruling party is gradually turning Nigeria into a one-party state, making collaboration among opposition forces imperative.
“We need the cooperation of everybody. That is why we call it a coalition,” Momodu said.
“It’s not a one-man thing, and Nigeria does not recognise independent candidacy. We must work together if we want to succeed.”
Atiku Abubakar, who served as Nigeria’s vice president from 1999 to 2007 under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), formally exited the party last year and subsequently aligned with the ADC as part of the opposition realignment.
Peter Obi, who was Atiku’s running mate in the 2019 presidential election and later contested the presidency on the platform of the Labour Party in 2023, recently announced his departure from the LP and joined the ADC.
Amaechi, a former APC presidential aspirant, was among the earliest high-profile politicians to align with the ADC and has remained a vocal critic of the Tinubu administration.