Media entrepreneur and publisher of Ovation Magazine, Dele Momodu, has outlined what he believes to be the only realistic strategy for the opposition to defeat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election — zoning the presidency to the Muslim North and the vice presidency to the Christian South.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Friday, Momodu argued that President Tinubu has already consolidated his political control over the South, leaving limited room for any southern challenger to make meaningful headway.
“It’s clear that the ruling party has turned the coming election into an ethnic contest — a North versus South political battle,” Momodu said.
“That’s why both the PDP and APC are insisting that the next candidate should come from the South. They know Tinubu has locked down the South, and no southern candidate — not Peter Obi, not Goodluck Jonathan — can currently match him in that region.”
According to the former presidential aspirant, Tinubu’s strong political network, vast financial resources, and firm control of state structures make him a formidable incumbent. He, however, emphasized that a “strategic counterbalance” from the North remains the only way to neutralize the president’s electoral strength.
Momodu dismissed criticisms that his proposed zoning formula would undermine fairness or breach Nigeria’s power rotation principle. He noted that there is no constitutional provision mandating an eight-year rotational arrangement between the North and South.
“The Constitution doesn’t recognize zoning or power rotation. These are just political conventions. What matters most is strategy — and without it, the opposition will stand no chance in 2027,” he said.
Momodu’s comments come amid growing political realignments ahead of the 2027 polls, as opposition figures debate how to effectively challenge Tinubu’s growing influence across both major political parties.
