The Chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Senator Dayo Adeyeye, has expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu will win the 2027 presidential election across all 36 states, citing the administration’s performance and growing political support.

Adeyeye, who is also the National Chairman of the South-West Agenda for Asiwaju, said opposition parties, including the African Democratic Congress, lacked the political structure and grassroots support needed to challenge the All Progressives Congress.

He stated this while speaking with journalists in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday.

He said Tinubu’s achievements in his first term and expectations for a second term distinguished him from other potential contenders.

The former National Assembly member said the Federal Government’s economic reforms had increased the financial resources available to state governments, enabling them to meet obligations such as salaries, pensions and gratuities.

“The increased financial allocations available to state governments have enabled many governors to perform better than their predecessors.

“I said over three months ago that President Tinubu was likely to win all 36 states, and I am becoming increasingly convinced that it will happen.

“I am absolutely confident and ready to campaign anywhere for Tinubu. I believe he deserves massive support in the 2027 election, and now, I predict that he will win in all the states of the federation,” Adeyeye said.

He explained that SWAGA was established to consolidate Tinubu’s political support in the South-West, adding that a strong home base was important for any presidential candidate seeking national acceptance.

“Tinubu has built a formidable political foundation across the South-West. The president’s support base has continued to expand beyond the region,” he said.

Adeyeye acknowledged the economic difficulties facing Nigerians but defended the administration’s policies, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of the foreign exchange market.

“The administration’s economic policies, including the removal of fuel subsidy and unification of the foreign exchange market, have prevented the country from sliding into a deeper economic crisis,” he said.

He argued that Nigeria had faced an unsustainable fiscal situation before Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, citing dwindling resources, fuel scarcity and the rising cost of maintaining the petrol subsidy.

Adeyeye recalled the period of prolonged fuel queues and the activities of black-market operators, saying that despite the increase in petrol prices, Nigerians now had better access to the product without the prolonged scarcity experienced in previous years.

He also said the foreign exchange reforms had improved transparency and reduced opportunities for arbitrage, while strengthening the capacity of state governments to meet their financial obligations.

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The NPA chairman cited the Federal Government’s student loan scheme and increased funding for universities as examples of efforts to reduce the financial burden on households and improve the education sector.

He also praised Tinubu for addressing funding challenges in the university system, arguing that improved remuneration and funding had helped restore industrial peace and end recurrent strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

On the opposition, Adeyeye said the ADC and its presidential candidate, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, lacked the political structures required to mount a serious challenge against the ruling party.

He questioned the party’s strength at the state and federal levels, saying it had no governor and lacked significant representation in the National Assembly and state assemblies.

“ADC is a party without a governor in any of the 36 states. How many members does it have in the National Assembly? How many state assemblies does it control? You cannot compare a party without a demonstrable political structure with the APC,” he said.

Adeyeye also argued that Atiku lacked sufficient political support in his home state of Adamawa, noting that the state governor was not backing his presidential ambition.

“Atiku is from Adamawa, but the governor of his state is not supporting him. The legislature in the state has not witnessed any significant movement to the ADC. How do you intend to challenge and defeat an incumbent president when you cannot establish a formidable political base in your own state?” he said.

Tinubu won the February 2023 presidential election with 8,794,726 votes, ahead of Atiku, who polled 6,984,520 votes, and the Labour Party’s Peter Obi, who received 6,101,533 votes, according to figures declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Since assuming office in May 2023, Tinubu has implemented major economic reforms, including the removal of the petrol subsidy and changes to the foreign exchange market.

The World Bank has said the measures helped address fiscal and foreign exchange market distortions, but also noted that they contributed to difficult adjustments for households and businesses.

The ADC has also faced a leadership dispute ahead of the 2027 elections.

On November 5, 2026, the Federal High Court in Abuja nullified the emergence of the David Mark-led national leadership and invalidated decisions taken by the group, including the process that produced Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate.

The party subsequently filed an appeal and sought a stay of execution, asking the Independent National Electoral Commission to suspend further action pending the determination of the appeal.

Source: Punch · Abiodun Nejo

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