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, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, made a bold assertion during an appearance on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Thursday.Speaking on the emerging opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Onanuga dismissed it as inconsequential, saying the All Progressives Congress (APC) does not view it as a threat.
“They’re free to form coalitions, but from the APC’s perspective, they pose no real challenge,” he stated. “Even if Peter Obi and Atiku join forces, there’s no scenario where they can defeat a Tinubu-Shettima ticket. It’s simply not possible.”He added that President Tinubu’s record in office would ultimately win over voters.
“There’s a lot of noise, but it doesn’t reflect the true situation. People are benefitting from Tinubu’s leadership, and when the time comes, he will leverage that support — many have prospered under his administration.
”Onanuga also refuted claims linking Tinubu to the internal disputes within the ADC, stating, “President Tinubu is a firm believer in free speech and expression. He has no involvement in their internal wrangling — in fact, he wasn’t even in the country when their issues began.”
Presidential aide Bayo Onanuga has dismissed the political strength of Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi ahead of the 2027 elections, describing Atiku’s repeated presidential bids as consistently unsuccessful.
“Atiku has been in the race longer than both Tinubu and Obi, yet he keeps failing at the final hurdle,” Onanuga remarked.
Commenting on a potential Atiku-Obi alliance, he argued that such a ticket lacks the national reach needed to unseat President Tinubu.
“Obi doesn’t have the influence to guarantee a win, even as a running mate. In the last election, Atiku appealed to the South as ‘their son,’ but the region still rejected him. That strategy clearly failed,” he said.
Onanuga further asserted that President Bola Tinubu has built significant goodwill in Northern Nigeria through strategic appointments.
“Tinubu has done a lot for the North,” he stated. “He has placed individuals from the North-West and North-East in influential positions. In politics, when you extend goodwill, it’s only natural to expect support in return from those who benefit.”
