Dele Momodu, the publisher of Ovation Magazine and a prominent chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has accused some PDP governors of possibly working covertly for President Bola Tinubu following their rejection of a potential opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
On Monday, April 14, PDP governors released a statement ruling out the prospect of a merger or coalition with any other political party. The announcement comes amid growing calls for opposition parties to form a united front to challenge the dominance of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next electoral cycle.
Reacting during an interview on Arise Television, Momodu expressed concern that no single opposition party has the capacity to unseat President Tinubu on its own, and urged party leaders to learn from the APC’s strategy in 2015, which saw multiple parties merge to secure victory at the national level.
“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,” Momodu said.
“So, naturally, they have to find a way to pay APC back in its own coins by trying to get at least a chunk of all the parties, including the APC, to come together.
“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.”
Momodu also criticised the apparent timidity among political actors in the face of power, saying the fear of persecution has silenced dissent.
“People must learn from history; 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.
“Any governor or any senator or house member who may be tempted to just jump ship may jump to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.”