Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who represents Abia South Senatorial District, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not legitimately win the 2023 presidential election, predicting that the president would lose his re-election bid in 2027 amid growing public dissatisfaction.
Speaking on Politics Today on Channels Television, Abaribe said although Tinubu has been accepted as president following court judgments affirming his victory, the administration is facing increasing anger from Nigerians due to economic hardship and security challenges.
Abaribe, a former Minority Leader of the Senate and former Deputy Governor of Abia State, said the 2027 general election would be a contest between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Nigerians affected by what he described as unpopular government policies.
He warned the APC against overconfidence despite the recent wave of defections to the party, describing it as “a giant with feet of clay.”
According to him, the party could suffer the same fate as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which once controlled the majority of states but later lost federal power.
The lawmaker said opposition figures are working together under a coalition arrangement and intend to use the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a platform to challenge the APC, pending the release of the party’s election guidelines.
Abaribe expressed confidence that opposition parties could form the majority in the next election if they remain united, urging them to set aside differences and work together.
“The next election will be APC against the Nigerian people,” he said, adding that widespread economic hardship and insecurity have eroded public confidence in the government.
He also accused the Tinubu administration of encouraging a drift toward a one-party state, a development he noted the president had previously opposed while in opposition.
The senator further criticised what he described as excessive government spending, urging the president to reduce the cost of governance and demonstrate empathy with citizens facing economic difficulties.
According to Abaribe, public trust in leadership depends on integrity, accountability, and shared sacrifice, warning that failure to address these concerns could cost the ruling party electoral support in 2027.
