“Tinubu Will Lose in 2027; He Never Won in 2023” — Abaribe

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe has said President Bola Tinubu will be defeated in the 2027 general election, insisting that the president did not genuinely win the 2023 presidential poll.

The senator representing Abia South Senatorial District made the remarks on Monday while appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme. According to him, widespread hardship, economic challenges and insecurity under the Tinubu administration have generated public anger and made it difficult for the president’s supporters to openly identify with him in their communities.

Abaribe claimed that many politicians who publicly express support for Tinubu are unable to do so in their hometowns for fear of backlash from residents. He said the level of suffering across the country has become severe, describing it as unprecedented.

Speaking from his experience in Aba, Abia State, the lawmaker said conversations about the ruling All Progressives Congress often reveal deep public dissatisfaction. He alleged that supporters of the president would face hostility if they openly canvassed for him in local markets or villages.

Abaribe further criticised the state of the economy and security, arguing that the combination of hardship, economic decline and insecurity would make it difficult for the president to secure votes in the next election. He questioned where electoral support would come from under the current conditions.

To illustrate his point, Abaribe referenced a past discussion involving Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, who reportedly questioned whether any known supporter of Tinubu could openly campaign for him in a major commercial centre like Ariaria Market in Aba.

Reiterating his position, Abaribe said President Tinubu would lose the 2027 election, maintaining that the president “never won in 2023.” He added that attempts to repeat the circumstances of the last election would not succeed.

President Tinubu of the APC was declared winner of the February 25, 2023 presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, defeating Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party and Peter Obi of the Labour Party. The result was challenged by opposition parties at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal and later at the Supreme Court, but the courts upheld Tinubu’s victory.

Since assuming office on May 29, 2023, Tinubu has introduced major economic reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of foreign exchange rates. While the government says the measures are necessary to stabilise the economy, critics argue they have intensified hardship and increased the cost of living.

Abaribe, a former Senate Minority Leader and a close ally of Peter Obi, has remained one of the most outspoken critics of the Tinubu administration.