Former Minister of Youth and Sports Solomon Dalung has predicted a heavy defeat for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, insisting that neither political power nor control of key institutions will save the President from losing the contest.
Dalung, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, made the prediction during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday.
The former minister said the outcome of the Osun State governorship election had confirmed his earlier prediction about Tinubu’s chances in 2027.
According to Dalung, even if Tinubu were to appoint his wife, Oluremi Tinubu, as Chief Justice of Nigeria and his son, Seyi Tinubu, as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the President would still suffer a decisive defeat at the polls.
“What happened in Osun is a confirmation of what I have said two years ago, that even if Tinubu appointed his wife, Remi Tinubu, as Chief Justice of Nigeria and appointed Seyi, his son, as INEC chairman, he is going to be defeated woefully in 2027,” Dalung said.
He argued that the Federal Government and other political leaders have failed to meet their constitutional responsibilities, particularly their duty to protect citizens, improve their welfare and put the interests of Nigerians first.
Dalung said leaders who genuinely believe in the people and understand the responsibility that comes with holding public office would focus on protecting lives and property and improving the social wellbeing of citizens.
“If we have leaders that believe in the people and believe in their oath of office and know that the Constitution imposes on them an obligation that they should protect lives and property and the social wellbeing of the people, they will definitely do that,” he said.
The ADC chieftain also called on political leaders to stop concentrating on accumulating public wealth and instead work towards leaving behind a positive legacy.
He said those in power should remember that they would eventually leave office and die, making it more important for them to use their positions to build a legacy that Nigerians would remember positively.
Dalung further predicted that regional interests and the performance of the Tinubu administration would play major roles in determining the outcome of the 2027 election.
“If we have leaders who have consciences, who know that all these monies they are busy stockpiling, one day they will depart this earth without anything, they will concentrate on building a legacy that they will be remembered for,” he said.
He added that regionalism would be an important factor in 2027 and that the President’s record in office would also come under serious scrutiny during the election.
Dalung maintained that Tinubu’s defeat would not simply be about the strength of the opposition or a direct contest between the President and rival political parties. Rather, he said, the election would ultimately be about Nigerians deciding who they want to lead the country.
He also dismissed the possibility that governors who have joined Tinubu’s political camp would be able to rescue his 2027 campaign, pointing to the Osun election as evidence.
“But on the overall, the President will be defeated woefully because he has assembled the people who have also abandoned the people. The governors whom he has brought to his party can never bail him out. It has been established in Osun. Their gatherings were gatherings of mourners,” Dalung said.
He stressed that the 2027 election should not be viewed solely as a battle between Tinubu and the opposition.
“2027 is not going to be an issue of Tinubu; it is not even going to be an issue of opposition. No. But the man Nigerians are going to be electing in 2027,” he said.
Dalung’s comments come as political parties and potential presidential contenders begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 general election, with the performance of the Tinubu administration, regional voting patterns and public opinion expected to remain central issues in the contest.
