RismadarVoice Reporters
September 4, 2026
The Federal Government of Nigeria and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have rejected claims by Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso that President Bola Tinubu could be defeated in the 2027 presidential election.
The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, said on Thursday that the APC was confident of retaining the presidency, as well as winning the governorship and other elective positions in Kaduna State.
Mr Musa spoke during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, hours after Mr Obi and Mr Kwankwaso urged their supporters to resist any attempt to manipulate the 2027 elections.
Asked whether voters in Kaduna could punish the APC and President Tinubu over the performance of the administration, the minister described claims of growing opposition to the ruling party in the North as a matter of perception.
“That’s a perception. It’s a perception, and I mean, everybody has his own perception to deal with. People will always have the good, the bad, and the ugly,” he said.
On whether the APC could lose Kaduna State in 2027, Mr Musa was emphatic.
“APC will win in Kaduna. That I know,” he said.
Asked whether he was referring to both the presidential and governorship elections, he replied, “Definitely. Presidential, governorship, and all levels.”
Mr Musa also dismissed claims of growing anti-APC sentiment in the North, saying some people were attempting to exploit public dissatisfaction.
He defended the Tinubu administration’s policies, particularly its economic reforms, saying the president had taken difficult decisions whose effects would gradually become evident.
“And I can tell you, APC will win,” the minister said.
Earlier on Thursday, Mr Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), told supporters in Port Harcourt that voters would not allow their mandates to be subverted during the 2027 elections.
Speaking at a town hall meeting tagged Obi Talks Nigeria, Mr Obi said it would be unrealistic for anyone to expect the 2027 election to be manipulated in the manner he alleged occurred in 2023.
“Nobody will intimidate us again at the polling booth,” he said.
He argued that the limited number of officials at polling units compared with the number of voters made it possible for citizens to protect their votes.
Mr Obi also expressed concern about possible manipulation of results through the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal, commonly known as IReV.
He said opposition parties and voters would be better prepared to respond to technical or network challenges during the next election.
“There will be so many IReVs this time,” he said, adding that alternative arrangements would be made in the event of network problems.
Mr Obi contested the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the Labour Party and finished third behind Mr Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Mr Tinubu was declared winner after securing 8,794,726 votes, ahead of Mr Abubakar, who polled 6,984,520 votes, and Mr Obi, who recorded 6,101,533 votes.
Mr Obi and some of his supporters have continued to dispute the outcome of the 2023 election.
Mr Kwankwaso, the NDC vice-presidential candidate, also urged Nigerians to make what he described as the right choice of leadership in 2027.
He argued that some presidential aspirants lacked the experience required to govern the country effectively.
“I believe that Nigerians must not make mistakes again. This is the time to get it right,” he said.
Mr Kwankwaso dismissed the argument that the APC’s control of more than 30 states would guarantee victory for President Tinubu, citing the defeat of former President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 election.
“Jonathan was the president; the sitting president lost the election,” he said.
He also criticised the performance of some APC governors, particularly in the North, arguing that their records could affect the party’s chances at the polls.
The APC dismissed the predictions by Mr Obi and Mr Kwankwaso as “cheap talk” and “wishful thinking.”
Ajibola Basiru, the party’s National Secretary, said the opposition figures were ignoring historical precedents.
“Talk is cheap, and they are poor students of history,” Mr Basiru told The PUNCH.
He cited Mr Buhari’s re-election in 2019, when the APC also retained several states, as evidence that an incumbent president and ruling party could win re-election.
Mr Basiru also questioned the organisational strength of the NDC, claiming that the party did not have governorship candidates in at least 12 states and lacked National Assembly candidates in several constituencies.
“The presidential election is not won on empty rhetoric or wishful thinking. We are confident that Nigerians will re-elect President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Rivers State has rejected a prediction by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, that the ADC and NDC would lose in Rivers State and Abuja in the 2027 elections.
Chizi Enyi, the ADC’s Rivers State Publicity Secretary and an ally of the party’s vice-presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, said the party was not concerned by Mr Wike’s comments.
Mr Enyi accused the minister of making political claims to retain relevance within the ruling establishment.
He alleged that the Rivers State government was attempting to influence the electoral process, including through changes involving electoral officials, but provided no evidence to substantiate the claim.
“We are not disturbed because while we are busy campaigning, we have information that they are busy lobbying INEC, changing Electoral Officers and all that,” he said.
Mr Enyi expressed confidence that the ADC would win Rivers State and perform strongly nationally in 2027.
He also criticised Mr Wike’s political record and accused him of using intimidation against political opponents.
