2027: No Strong Southern, Only Wike Could've Attempted But He's Supporting Asiwaju—Dele Momodu

 Dele Momodu, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has stated that there is currently no strong southern aspirant in the opposition who can challenge for the presidency in 2027, as reported by Punch on Tuesday, 8th July, 2025.

Momodu noted that several southern politicians have been campaigning for the presidency to return to the South.

However, he argued that these calls are not backed by any real contender.

According to him, the only southern politician who could have made a serious attempt was Nyesom Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

He said Wike is no longer in the race because he now supports President Bola Tinubu.

This, according to Momodu, leaves the opposition without a solid southern candidate.

He added that despite the noise for a southern presidency, the reality is that the opposition lacks a strong figure from that region.

Momodu further claimed that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and its supporters are threatened by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

He said the recent negative campaigns against Atiku show that his chances worry the ruling party.

He stressed that the APC would prefer the opposition to pick a weaker southern candidate, as this would increase their chances in the 2027 election.

According to him, that is why there is pressure within the ADC coalition to zone the presidency to the South.

Momodu maintained his support for Atiku, calling him the best option in the current political climate.

He added that opposition members should focus on winning the support of Nigerians through a fair and open primary process.

He said all aspirants, including Peter Obi and Rotimi Amaechi, should be allowed to test their strength democratically.

“If you listen to Wike very well, they’ve all been campaigning that the next president should still come from the southern Nigeria. But they know very well that there’s no Southerner today."

“The only one who could have attempted it is Wike. But since he is supporting Asiwaju, he is no longer available. The moment they started pushing campaigns of calumny against Atiku, you must know that they feel threatened by Atiku,” he said.