President Bola Tinubu enters the 2027 presidential contest with a stronger political advantage than he had in 2023, according to a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Lere Olayinka, who described the emerging opposition field as fragmented and less threatening.
Olayinka, who spoke on TVC’s Breakfast on Monday, attributed Tinubu’s advantage not only to his administration’s performance but also to what he described as the president’s success in building alliances across political divides.
He argued that several influential opposition politicians who could otherwise have been key players in mobilising against the president are now either working with his administration or pursuing political interests that could divide the opposition vote.
Olayinka singled out FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, who remains a PDP member but serves in Tinubu’s government, saying Wike’s continued cooperation with the administration has deprived the PDP of a potentially significant mobilisation force ahead of the election.
He also cited the possible emergence of competing presidential interests within the opposition, suggesting that political figures such as Abia State Governor Alex Otti and Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke could end up backing different presidential platforms. “Imagine Alex Otti also pushing Labour Party presidential candidate. Imagine Adeleke pushing Accord Party presidential candidate. Imagine Wike is pushing that of PDP,” he said.
According to the PDP chieftain, such fragmentation could make it difficult for the opposition to build the unified political machinery required to mount a serious national challenge against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
Olayinka consequently described the next presidential election as potentially “the easiest” for Tinubu compared with 2023, arguing that the president’s combination of political alliances and governance record has altered the balance of forces. His assessment, however, comes as opposition parties and aspirants continue to reposition and explore alliances ahead of the 2027 contest.
