A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Dele Momodu, has urged Rotimi Amaechi and Muhammad Hayatu-Deen to stop attacking the party’s presidential primary before the process is fully concluded.
Momodu, a veteran journalist and strong supporter of Atiku Abubakar, said it was strange that the two aspirants dismissed the exercise while collation was still ongoing.
His comments came after Atiku was declared winner of the ADC presidential primary in several states, amid complaints of alleged irregularities by Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen.
Momodu, however, defended the exercise, insisting that reports from the field showed a fair and peaceful process.
He said he monitored results from different states and saw what he described as a clear voting pattern in favour of Atiku.
According to him, aggrieved aspirants should allow the process to end before raising objections.
“What I find strange is the fact that before the conclusion of the election, two of the contestants did not wait before writing it off,” Momodu said.
He urged Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen to “cool tempers” and avoid conduct that could weaken the party ahead of the 2027 election.
Momodu said the priority for ADC should be unity, especially if the party is serious about challenging President Bola Tinubu in the next general election.
“If they love the party and they love Nigeria, and they truly want to remove Tinubu, then this is not the time for this type of bickering,” he said.
The ADC chieftain also described Atiku as the strongest politician in the race, arguing that his long-standing political network gave him an advantage over other aspirants.
He recalled that Atiku has been active in presidential politics since 1993, when he stepped down for the late MKO Abiola during the Social Democratic Party presidential contest in Jos.
Momodu said Atiku had since built a nationwide structure that would be difficult for newer entrants to match.
He also referenced Peter Obi’s exit from the ADC race, saying the former Labour Party presidential candidate took a more honourable route by leaving quietly.
According to Momodu, Obi understood Atiku’s strength and chose not to deceive himself about his chances against the former vice president.
Momodu dismissed claims that the ADC primary was badly conducted, saying he personally followed the exercise across several states.
He said feedback from the field suggested that the voting was peaceful and orderly.
The publisher of Ovation Magazine also criticised the All Progressives Congress, APC, over its reported membership and voting figures, describing them as unrealistic.
He questioned how nearly 11 million people could be accredited, vote and have their votes counted within a single day.
Momodu said even the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, would struggle to achieve such a feat within one week.
On former President Goodluck Jonathan’s possible return to the presidential race, Momodu said the ADC would welcome the challenge.
He said Jonathan, as a former president, still has a political network, but added that the ADC was ready to face any candidate in a democratic contest.
Reaffirming his support for Atiku, Momodu described the former vice president as resilient, experienced and capable of building bridges across Nigeria.
He said Atiku’s long stay in politics showed tenacity and commitment to democratic ideals.
