By Opeyemi Adelakun
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed claims by opposition figures Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso that President Bola Tinubu could lose the 2027 presidential election, insisting that the ruling party remains confident of victory.
Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, said the APC was also certain of retaining Kaduna State in the governorship, presidential and other elections scheduled for 2027.
Musa spoke on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, shortly after Obi and Kwankwaso addressed supporters in Port Harcourt.
The minister rejected suggestions that the APC was losing popularity in the North, describing such claims as a matter of perception.
Asked whether the APC could lose Kaduna State in 2027, Musa said the party would win at all levels.
“APC will win in Kaduna. That I know,” he said, adding that his prediction covered the presidential, governorship and other elections.
Musa also defended Tinubu’s administration, arguing that the President had taken difficult economic decisions whose benefits would become more apparent over time.
He said Nigerians would eventually understand the rationale behind the government’s reforms, particularly its economic policies.
Obi: Votes must count
Earlier, Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), told supporters at a town hall meeting in Port Harcourt that opposition voters would not allow intimidation or manipulation at polling units in 2027.
He argued that the relatively small number of officials at polling stations compared with the number of voters made it possible for citizens to collectively protect their votes.
Obi also expressed concerns about possible manipulation of results through the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), saying opposition supporters would be better prepared to monitor the electoral process.
He maintained that the experience of the 2023 presidential election should not be repeated and urged voters to actively defend their ballots.
Obi, who contested the 2023 election on the platform of the Labour Party, finished third behind Tinubu and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
Kwankwaso warns against repeating history
Kwankwaso, the NDC vice-presidential candidate, urged Nigerians to make what he described as the right leadership choice in 2027.
He argued that incumbency and control of several states would not automatically guarantee victory for the ruling party.
Kwankwaso cited the 2015 presidential election, when then-President Goodluck Jonathan lost his re-election bid despite being the incumbent.
He also criticised some governors in the North, alleging that their performance could make it difficult for them to campaign effectively for the ruling party.
APC: Opposition claims are wishful thinking
The APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, described the opposition’s claims as “cheap talk” and accused Obi and Kwankwaso of ignoring political history.
Basiru pointed to Muhammadu Buhari’s 2019 re-election victory as an example of an incumbent president winning another term alongside his party.
He also argued that the NDC faced organisational challenges in several states, claiming that the party lacked governorship candidates in at least 12 states and National Assembly candidates in many constituencies.
According to him, the presidential election would not be won through rhetoric or predictions, insisting that the APC remained confident Nigerians would re-elect Tinubu.
Rivers battle intensifies
The political confrontation also extended to Rivers State, where the ADC rejected claims by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike that the opposition parties would lose in the state and Abuja.
ADC State Publicity Secretary, Chizi Enyi, accused Wike of making political claims aimed at supporting Tinubu and insisted that the party was not intimidated by his remarks.
Enyi said the ADC remained confident in the electoral prospects of the Atiku Abubakar-Rotimi Amaechi ticket, citing Amaechi’s record as a former Rivers State governor.
He also alleged that efforts were being made to influence the electoral process in Rivers State, including claims of attempts to alter the deployment of electoral officers.
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