The Presidency has said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains impossible to defeat in the 2027 presidential election, insisting that neither former Vice President Atiku Abubakar nor Labour Party’s Peter Obi pose a serious challenge — even if they unite.
Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, made this bold statement during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Thursday.
According to Onanuga, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) does not consider the emerging opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a credible threat.
“They are free to form alliances, but as far as the APC is concerned, we are not seeing them as any threat,” Onanuga said. “If you merge Peter Obi and Atiku, there is no way the two of them can beat a Bola Tinubu and Shettima ticket. It is going to be impossible.”
He argued that Tinubu’s achievements will speak for him at the polls, adding that those criticising the administration are out of touch with reality.
“There is a lot of noise all over the place, and it doesn’t tally with the reality on the ground. People are benefitting from the Tinubu-led government, and at the right time, Tinubu will tap into that — people under him have enjoyed.”
Onanuga also dismissed claims that Tinubu is responsible for the internal crisis within the ADC, saying, “Tinubu supports freedom of speech and freedom of expression. He doesn’t have any hand in the challenges they are facing in the ADC. He was not even in Nigeria when the internal problems they are facing started.”
He criticised Atiku Abubakar’s repeated attempts at the presidency, saying, “Atiku has been in the race more than Tinubu and Obi. He has tried several times to become president, but he always fails at the gate.”
Speaking on Peter Obi, Onanuga noted that his influence is limited and cannot guarantee a win even if paired with Atiku on a joint ticket.
“If you look at the configuration and geography of our country, the last time Atiku came out, he was trying to whip up the sentiment of ‘I’m your son,’ and the South rejected him. If you have an Obi that you want to use as your running mate, that fact doesn’t mean you will get the exact votes you would get when he vied for president.”
He further stated that President Tinubu has gained strong support in the North through key appointments.
“Tinubu is doing a lot of good for the North. In terms of appointments, he has appointed people from the North-West and North-East into good positions, and I think in politics, a good turn deserves a response from people who are beneficiaries of Tinubu’s government,” he said.
