2027: Peter Obi will come third, Atiku second — Afegbua

Edo State Commissioner for Information, Kassim Afegbua, has predicted that President Bola Tinubu will win the 2027 presidential election, with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar coming second and Peter Obi placing third.

Afegbua made the prediction while analysing the chances of major opposition presidential contenders during an interview on the Naija Unfiltered Podcast.

According to him, the 2027 presidential contest is essentially a three-horse race involving Tinubu, Atiku and Obi, while dismissing the prospects of other contenders.

“It’s a three horse race please. Don’t bug me with the needless distraction of Seyi Makinde,” Afegbua said.

He also questioned the chances of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, who is seeking the presidency on the platform of the Advanced Peoples Movement (APM).

“Where is APM in Nigeria, please? Where is Makinde? Why is he grandstanding? What is the meaning of all of that? Is that arrogance of power, or you just feel that he needs to make some noise? What’s that?” he asked.

Afegbua was equally dismissive of African Action Congress presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore and other opposition contenders, describing them as “rabble rousers”.

“What is the other man’s name? Sowore. All those ones are rabble rousers. It’s a three horse race,” he said.

He added: “All the other names you’ve called, they are filling the gap. They don’t exist in the equation of what who are potential candidates that can spring a surprise.

“Atiku Abubakar will come second. Peter Obi will come third. President Bola Tinubu will come first.”

The commissioner said his projection was based on what he described as statistics, research and empirical analysis of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and its electoral strengths and weaknesses.

“The statistics massing around favor this conclusion. It is based on empirical analysis, based on research, based on investigation,” Afegbua said.

He acknowledged that the APC had weaknesses in some areas but said the party was aware of them and was working to address them ahead of the election.

“We know where our weaknesses are as a party, and we also know the states where we are not going to do well. Things may change because we are putting certain machinery in place. APC is very solid,” he added.