FG Tackles Obi, Kwankwaso Over Tinubu’s Re-Election Chances

The Federal Government and the All Progressives Congress have rejected claims by the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, that President Bola Tinubu could be defeated in the 2027 general elections.

Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, said the APC remained confident of retaining the Presidency and winning other major elections in Kaduna State.

Musa made the statement on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, shortly after Obi and Kwankwaso addressed their supporters in Port Harcourt.

The defence minister dismissed suggestions that voters in northern Nigeria were becoming increasingly opposed to the APC and Tinubu. He described such claims as perceptions and said different people would naturally have different views about the performance of the government.

Asked whether the APC could lose Kaduna State in 2027, Musa said he was confident the party would retain the state at the presidential, governorship and other levels.

He also defended the Tinubu administration against criticism of its economic policies, saying the President had taken difficult decisions whose effects would become clearer over time. Musa said Nigerians would eventually understand the reasons behind some of the measures introduced by the government.

The minister maintained that the APC would win the 2027 election, despite growing opposition activities across the country.

Obi, however, had earlier told supporters that the opposition would not allow anyone to intimidate voters or manipulate the outcome of the 2027 elections.

Speaking at a town hall meeting in Port Harcourt, Obi said voters would be better organised at polling units and would insist that their votes were properly counted and transmitted.

The former Labour Party presidential candidate also expressed concerns about possible manipulation of results through the INEC Result Viewing Portal. He said opposition supporters would be prepared to monitor the process closely and respond to technical problems that could affect the electronic transmission of results.

Obi contested the 2023 presidential election on the Labour Party platform and finished third behind Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. Tinubu was declared the winner after securing 8,794,726 votes, while Atiku polled 6,984,520 and Obi received 6,101,533 votes.

Obi has continued to dispute the 2023 outcome and maintained that the election was affected by irregularities and intimidation.

Kwankwaso, meanwhile, urged Nigerians to be careful in choosing their next president, arguing that the country needed an experienced and capable leader to address its economic and security challenges.

He also dismissed the argument that controlling a large number of states would automatically guarantee victory for the APC in 2027. He cited the 2015 presidential election, when then-President Goodluck Jonathan lost his re-election bid despite being the incumbent.

The APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, also rejected the opposition’s prediction, describing the claims as unrealistic. He pointed to Muhammadu Buhari’s successful re-election in 2019 as evidence that an incumbent president and his party could retain power.

Basiru also argued that Obi and Kwankwaso’s party faced organisational challenges, claiming it did not have governorship candidates in several states and lacked National Assembly candidates in many constituencies.

He said the APC remained confident that Nigerians would return Tinubu to office in 2027.

Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress in Rivers State dismissed claims by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike that the ADC and NDC would lose in Rivers State and Abuja.

The ADC’s Rivers State Publicity Secretary, Chizi Enyi, said the party was not worried by Wike’s prediction and expressed confidence in the party’s candidates.

Enyi accused Wike of making political claims aimed at maintaining his influence and alleged that the minister had a history of changing political positions. He also accused Wike of relying on intimidation, allegations the minister has not accepted.

The ADC spokesman said the party was focused on its campaign and believed its candidates could defeat the ruling parties in Rivers State and nationally in the 2027 elections.

He also expressed confidence in the Atiku Abubakar and Rotimi Amaechi ticket, saying the former Rivers governor’s record would help the party attract voters in the state.