Former presidential aspirant and publisher, Dele Momodu, has said the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is showing signs of “obvious panic” despite President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to rally governors, ministers and lawmakers.
Momodu, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), stated this during an appearance on Tuesday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today programme.
According to him, the growing alignment of opposition figures has unsettled the ruling party.
“They (APC) cannot believe that we will have maybe four or five major opposition leaders in the country, and some people will go and put fire in their houses so that none of them will be strong enough to stand against the leader.
“It is reality; let’s not hide behind one finger. I keep saying it, Tinubu, today, despite gathering all the governors, ministers, legislators, and what have you, you can see the obvious panic in the party,” he said.
The ex-PDP chieftain further criticised what he described as a culture of silence within the APC, alleging that many members are unable to openly express dissent.
“Wherever dictatorship thrives, everybody keeps quiet. The majority of my friends are in APC; I pity them. Sometimes they just look like slaves; they grumble behind the master, but they dare not speak up. I pray for them; I wish them well because that is what they have chosen for themselves. I am telling you that Nigeria must be rescued,” he said.
Momodu also accused the ruling party of “gatekeeping institutions”, alleging interference in political processes.
“It’s insane,” he said, accusing the APC of “blocking venues (for conventions), blocking courts.”
Despite these alleged challenges, he argued that such actions were inadvertently boosting the ADC’s profile.
‘One-Man Rule’
The media entrepreneur further alleged that President Tinubu was attempting to replicate in Nigeria a political structure he built in Lagos.
“Tinubu did it in Lagos; that system has survived for 27 years. He now wants to elevate it to the national level, and, of course, Nigeria is too big for the voluminous ambition of one man. That is why people are kicking, and that is why he has to gather people by fire by force,” he said.
Momodu warned against what he described as a drift towards “one-man rule”.
“We must rescue Nigeria from one-man rule. I don’t even call it a one-party dictatorship; it’s a one-man rule. They cannot talk; nobody can talk. If the president today says, ‘I want to borrow one trillion dollars,’ they will approve it in less than five minutes. That is so ridiculous.”
Asked about the prospects of the ADC ahead of the 2027 general election, Momodu expressed support for a potential alliance between former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
“I’d pair him (Atiku) with Peter Obi because they worked together in 2019, so they already share a similar temperament. Peter Obi came third in the last election, so you don’t have to work too hard to maintain and attract the same group of people who love him,” he said.
He also dismissed concerns about internal divisions within the ADC, insisting the party remains united despite the presence of prominent political figures ahead of the 2027 elections.
