Adolphus Wabara, former Senate President and Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), asserts that it will be the Nigerian electorate, rather than a select group of governors, who will ultimately decide President Bola Tinubu’s fate in the upcoming 2027 elections.
Wabara’s comments follow the decision by APC governors to endorse Tinubu as their sole candidate for the 2027 presidential race. He commended the governors for granting the President the right of first refusal, acknowledging that “this is a global practice and tradition.”
However, he emphasized that being the flagbearer of the ruling party does not guarantee electoral victory. He pointed to the 2015 elections, where then-President Goodluck Jonathan, despite being the sitting President and the PDP’s candidate, lost to the APC’s challenger.
Wabara urged the APC governors to let President Tinubu’s performance speak for itself. He noted that it is the Nigerian populace, who are acutely aware of the impact of the APC-led Federal Government on their daily lives, that will ultimately determine the President’s fate in 2027.
He cautioned against premature political maneuvering, stating that it is too early to stir political tensions over the 2027 elections while the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has yet to lift the ban on campaigns.
The PDP BoT Chairman advised the APC governors to focus their efforts on improving the living conditions for Nigerians, who are enduring significant hardships due to the challenges posed by the APC’s governance.
He remarked: “I thank APC governors for respecting the age-long tradition of giving a first-time President or governor the right of first refusal. I didn’t expect less.
“But I would like to remind them that governors do not have the mandate to decide who becomes President in 2027. Such right resides with the electorate.
“I think the APC should rather be preoccupied with how to make life better for millions of Nigerians, who have been forced into poverty due to APC’s misrule and bad economic policies.”