2027: No contest, Tinubu has already won – APC ex-vice chair

A former National Vice Chairman (South-West) of the All Progressives Congress, Bankole Oluwajana, has declared that President Bola Tinubu has already won the 2027 presidential election as there is no serious opposition.

Speaking with The PUNCH in Lagos, Oluwajana said the “battle has been won even before it started and there is no contest,” because the opposition parties are devoid of party structure.

The Independent National Electoral Commission on Saturday published the final list of presidential candidates and their running mates for the January 2027 elections.

Among the presidential candidates listed are Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress and Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party.

INEC’s publication comes as preparations intensify for the 2027 general elections, with the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, while the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections hold on February 6, 2027

Oluwajana said, “On the forthcoming election, it is very obvious that there is no serious opposition, or oppositions are not serious.

“Anywhere in the world, including the United States of America, you cannot be a serious contender in democracy without a structure.

“Election is just a few months away, and the understanding of major opposition of what campaign means is to abuse President Tinubu on social media like kindergarten fighting over a bar of chocolate or groundnuts. The battle has been won even before it started. There is no contest.”

He boxed the opposition presidential candidates into three categories of “dreamers, serial contenders and unduly ambitious men without structure.”

According to Oluwajana, those in the opposition are mostly strange bedfellows driven by anger, envy and jealousy of Tinubu.

He described former Governor Rauf Aregbesola, whom he regarded as a progressive, as unfathomable for pairing up with David Mark and Atiku.

He said, “The opposition candidates are in three categories – Some are dreamers, often misled by marabouts and prophets. In the second category are serial contenders who gather together those who are angry with President Tinubu, those who do not like him, and some former associates who have fallen out with him. In this second group we have strange bedfellows.

“How can we explain Aregbesola, a known progressive socialist, pairing up with David Mark, who retired as a military irredentist and an aggressive capitalist like Atiku? It is impossible to have a unified team from such a concoction.

“The third group comprises unduly ambitious young men without structure. They assume that a riot, protest or upheaval can bring them to power, forgetting that the same upheaval may consume them.”

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On the present administration, Oluwajana described the subsidy and naira deregulation policies as Tinubu restructuring Nigeria for a better future.

He said, “President Tinubu is very brilliant and knows what he is doing and where he is taking Nigeria. He means well for Nigeria.

“Presidents before him mainly had governance in mind. In addition to governance, the government of President Tinubu has harmlessly added restructuring, growth and economic stability.

“If there are lapses and mistakes, they are not deliberate. Such hitches are not unusual, and the rough edges can be smoothed.

“Obviously, President Tinubu wants a well-structured and better future for Nigeria. The Naira deregulation and removal of subsidy are good policies. Now Nigerians travel abroad with goods to sell over there to earn income and return with empty boxes.

“Before now, it was the other way around – Nigerians would go abroad with empty boxes and return with boxes filled up with goods. This was injurious to the economy. The reversal of this is good for the economy.”

He declared that there was global acknowledgement of the gains of present economic policies, adding that it would be “disastrous” for anyone to assume the government to reverse such policies.

“We are making good progress, as shown by the increase in our reserves from $28bn under President Jonathan to $54bn now, an increase of almost 100 per cent within a few years. Economically, we are moving forward, and there is global acknowledgement of this. It will be disastrous to reverse the gear,” he said.

Speaking on the APC loss in Osun State, Oluwajana described the leadership of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola in the election as weak.

He said the former governor lacked charisma, human relations and was too introverted to play the needed politics.

According to Oluwajana, other Osun APC politicians like Ajibola Bashiru, Iyiola Omisore, Benedict Alabi, Francis Fadahunsi, Babajide Omoworare and Bisi Akande would have led the state into the election better than Oyetola.

He said, “The APC loss to the Accord in Osun State was expected. It couldn’t have been otherwise. The man that won, Governor Ademola Adeleke, is one of us. Our candidate, the candidate of APC in the election, is good.

“But the man that believes himself to be the leader of APC structure in Osun State – the immediate former governor – doesn’t have what it takes to lead progressives. He is not charismatic and looks like an introvert, and his human relations are weak.

“He never would have been in politics but for his closeness to the President. His deputy, Benedict Alabi, would have done better. Baba Akande would have done far better even at his age. There are so many strong politicians in the APC – Bashiru, Omisore, Fadahunsi, Omoworare and many others. Oyetola was the weak link.”