Dele Momodu, Peter Obi and the Pain of Political Relevance

Dele Momodu has earned his place in Nigeria’s public life as a veteran journalist, publisher of Ovation International, columnist, businessman and politician. He has contested before, joined coalitions, left the PDP, and officially joined the ADC in January 2026, saying he wanted to work with like-minded Nigerians to rescue the country rather than chase elective office. 

But his recent interventions on Peter Obi have raised a question: is Momodu offering strategic advice, or struggling with the political reality that Obi now commands the emotional force he once hoped broader opposition politics would control?

Momodu has warned Nigerians not to place all hope on Obi, arguing that the former Labour Party candidate should not be treated as Nigeria’s only political messiah. He also faulted Obi’s reported exit from the ADC coalition to the NDC, saying Obi should have stayed to test his strength against figures like Atiku Abubakar and Rotimi Amaechi. - Read source

On the surface, that argument sounds reasonable. No democracy should depend on one man. But politics is also about timing, trust and survival. Reuters reported that Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso left the ADC-led alliance over internal court cases, factionalism and mistrust, weakening the opposition unity project ahead of 2027. If that is the environment Obi saw, then leaving may not be cowardice; it may be calculation.

That is where Momodu should move on. Criticism is fair, but obsession is politically costly. Obi’s movement may have flaws, but repeatedly attacking its central figure risks making Momodu look less like a national strategist and more like a man unsettled by another politician’s momentum.

Nigeria needs opposition thinkers who can build alternatives, not merely mourn defections. If ADC has answers, let it sell them. If Momodu has vision, let him organise it. Peter Obi is not above criticism, but Dele Momodu must understand this: politics does not reward those who complain about a moving train. It rewards those who build one.