Calling Obi ‘best of us’ is an insult to other ADC leaders — Momodu tells Obidients
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A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dele Momodu, has faulted calls by supporters of former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, insisting he must emerge as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
According to him, it is an insult to other leaders of the coalition when Obidients describe their principal as ‘the best’ of ADC leaders.
Momodu spoke on Channels Television on Thursday while reacting to comments by rights activist Aisha Yesufu and economist Prof Pat Utomi, both allies of Obi, who had warned that their support could be withdrawn if Obi is not given the ADC presidential ticket.
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Yesufu had argued that Obi is “the best” among the political figures in the ADC and should not “play second fiddle” to anyone in the coalition, a position earlier echoed by Utomi.
Reacting, Momodu said the narrative coming from sections of the Obidient movement was divisive and dismissive of other prominent figures in the party.
“When I talked about people being rambunctious, I read stories where someone was quoted as saying, “Why will the best of us always be playing second fiddle to the worst of us?’” Momodu said.
“What determines who is the worst of us?” the publisher of Ovation Magazine asked.
He described such language as insulting, stressing that the ADC is made up of several experienced political leaders.
“Today, if you ask me, in ADC, there are prominent potential candidates. Number one on the list as of today is Alhaji Atiku Abubakar because he was a vice president, he has played at the highest level for eight years,” he said.
Momodu recalled Atiku’s long political history, noting that he began contesting for the presidency as far back as 1993.
“He started contesting for the presidency in 1993, when he stepped down for Chief MKO Abiola in Jos,” he added.
He also listed other figures in the coalition, including former Rivers State governor and minister, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, and former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai.
He said, “The next person will be Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, who has been Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly for eight years. He’s been governor for eight years, he’s been minister for years. Then, we got to Peter Obi, who has been a governor of Anambra State for two terms. There are other people, if you look towards the North, you have Malam Nasir El-Rufai, a man, whose brain is so fertile, I respect his brain so much and he is a brain box for our party. So, I don’t know where people got the idea of the worst of us.”
He rejected any suggestion that Atiku could be regarded as “the worst” among the aspirants. “Atiku certainly cannot be the worst of us. He left power in 2007, he has been building his businesses, and God has blessed him with good health,” he said.
Momodu also dismissed Utomi’s threat to withdraw support if Obi is not chosen as the party’s candidate. “That cannot be a threat. You cannot threaten other potential candidates,” he said.
Emphasising the nature of the coalition, Momodu said, “We need the cooperation of everybody. That is why we call it a coalition. It is not a one-man thing, and Nigeria does not recognise independent candidacy.”
While acknowledging Obi’s popularity, Momodu warned against elevating one figure above others.
“Obi is a fantastic guy, a phenomenon,” he said, “but to say he is the best of all of them where you have the Atikus and the Amaechis is an insult to the rest of them.”
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