Veteran journalist and politician Dele Momodu has suggested that Peter Obi lacks the money and organisational structure necessary to mount an effective challenge against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential elections.
Momodu a longtime political figure and former PDP presidential aspirant who remains involved in national discussions, argued that Obi’s campaign apparatus and financial backing are insufficient to compete with his rivals’ resources.
He added that only figures with extensive networks and funding, like Atiku, have what it takes to seriously contest Tinubu’s incumbency.
Obi’s Structural Challenges
Momodu further argued that the Labour Party (LP) remains structurally weak and financially dependent, making it difficult for any candidate including Obi, to compete effectively at the national level.
“The first thing Obi will face in Labour, he will have to fund the party. The party does not have money, and Nigerians don’t make contributions,” Momodu stated.
He recounted his own experience: “After I lost the first 10 million, I started shaking when I was in Labour. 10 million, they said they were setting up structures.”
Momodu emphasized that winning a Nigerian presidential election requires significant funding and established political machinery, which he believes fringe or smaller parties like the LP lack. “You cannot win a presidential election from a fringe local party. Look, you cannot, it doesn’t have that, it has money,” he said.
While acknowledging that Peter Obi possesses personal wealth, Momodu, who described himself as an ‘ordinary’ journalist and reporter doubted whether Obi would be willing to expend his “hard-earned money” on his political ambition.
“Peter Obi has money… But can Peter Obi spend his hard-earned money on fighting an Atiku? Or fighting a Tinubu, if he emerges in APC? He can’t.”
Momodu, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former PDP figure, has in recent months clarified his positions on coalitions and support for Atiku Abubakar.
