LAGOS, Nigeria – Dele Momodu, the publisher of Ovation Magazine, has accused some governors elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of secretly working in favor of President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.
His comments came after the PDP governors ruled out the possibility of forming a coalition or merging with any other political party in preparation for the upcoming elections.
On Monday, April 14, 2025, the PDP governors issued a statement distancing themselves from the idea of a coalition, despite ongoing discussions about opposition parties potentially uniting to challenge the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next elections.
Momodu, a prominent figure in the PDP, expressed his concerns about the feasibility of unseating Tinubu in 2027 without the opposition coming together.
Speaking on Arise Television on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, Momodu argued that none of the leading opposition parties—such as Atiku Abubakar’s PDP, Peter Obi’s Labour Party, or Rabiu Kwankwanso’s New Nigeria Peoples Party—can win the presidency alone.
“Opposition leaders are very determined this time around to work together. The truth of the matter is Atiku cannot do it alone, Peter Obi cannot do it alone, and Rabiu Kwankwanso cannot do it alone,” he said.
Momodu urged the opposition to adopt a unified strategy similar to the one used by the APC in 2015 to secure electoral victory.
He further suggested that the resistance of some PDP governors to the coalition might indicate that they are indirectly supporting Tinubu’s presidency.
“If our governors are saying no, we don’t want to go into a coalition, then it means that surreptitiously you are probably working for a Tinubu presidency,” he remarked.
The PDP chieftain also criticized the prevailing climate of fear and intimidation, which he believes is preventing leaders from making bold decisions.
He urged his party members to be more courageous, warning that any individual who decided to “jump ship” might face severe consequences.
“A bully only respects a bully, but all of us are already behaving like chickens. Anything, people panic, saying they are going to use the EFCC or arrest them,” he said.
