Publisher of Ovation Magazine and chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dele Momodu, has predicted that the 2027 presidential election will be a straight contest between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, arguing that both politicians possess the political strength required to secure victory.
Momodu made the assertion in a statement titled, “Time for National Reconciliation, Re-Orientation & Reconstruction,” which he shared on his X account on Monday.
According to him, the political landscape ahead of the next general election is increasingly pointing to a fierce battle between the incumbent president and Atiku, whom he described as Tinubu’s most formidable challenger.
“The 2027 Presidential election is expected to be a major fight between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his biggest challenger, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. It promises to be the battle of the Titans,” Momodu stated.
While acknowledging that another political movement could emerge before the election, similar to the third-force momentum witnessed during the 2023 presidential race, Momodu expressed doubt that such a platform would be strong enough to defeat either Tinubu or Atiku.
“A third force, hopefully, may show up, like it did in 2023, but not with enough fire power and tenacity to upstage, and obliterate, the two elder statesmen,” he added.
The remarks are likely to fuel political debate, particularly among supporters of Labour Party’s Peter Obi, who finished third in the 2023 presidential election and has remained one of the country’s most influential opposition figures.
Beyond his electoral projections, Momodu urged the ADC to evolve into a broad-based national platform capable of bridging Nigeria’s traditional political establishment and a new generation of leaders. He called for greater inclusion of professionals, technocrats and experienced politicians to strengthen governance and national unity.
He also raised concerns about growing ethnic and religious divisions in the country, warning that political actors must avoid deepening existing tensions ahead of the 2027 elections.
“The North and the South will reunite in a game of ethnic and religious rivalries. The present combustive tensions, and absolute chaos, cannot be allowed to continue. It will consume all of us,” he warned.
Momodu further lamented what he described as the decline of ideology and statesmanship in Nigeria’s democratic process, urging political leaders to embrace reconciliation, national unity and value-driven leadership.
He cited the examples of Nigeria’s founding leaders, including Nnamdi Azikiwe, Ahmadu Bello and Obafemi Awolowo, as models of visionary leadership capable of inspiring a more cohesive and prosperous nation.