Politics
‘Obi may be the third force but he is struggling’ —Dele Momodu insists
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Dele Momodu, believes that though the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi may be seen as an emerging third force in Nigerian politics, the former Anambra State governor is struggling to make any impact.
Momodu who made the assertion on Tuesday on a Channels Television’s special election programme, “The 2023 Verdict”, acknowledged that Obi does not have the national appeal to sway voters in every part of the country.
Momodu noted that Obi, though popular on social media, is “struggling because a presidential race is not a marathon and takes time to build bridges.”
“Usually, in many countries, you have two mainstream political parties and candidates,” Momodu, himself a former presidential aspirant, said.
“In the case of Nigeria, now we seem to have a third force, the fourth force is not doing much. And who are the leading candidates? Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Lagos and Peter Obi, former Governor of Anambra State,” Momodu said.
Read also:Labour Party alleges plot to blackmail Obi with fake video
“I’m a democrat, I will not disparage anybody. He, Obi, is a third force but how forceful is that third force is the question,” he said in answer to a question on the chances of the LP flag bearer.
According to the veteran journalist turned politician, the only presidential candidate with such a national appeal is Atiku Abubakar of the PDP and the only one who has what it takes to reposition the country.
“If Peter Obi is struggling, then the number four would have to struggle more. He is definitely struggling. A presidential race is a marathon; it is a long-distance race, it takes time to build up,” he said.
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