2027: Don’t Waste Your Money, Tinubu Will Win – Bankole warns aspirants

2027: Don’t Waste Your Money, Tinubu Will Win – Bankole warns aspirants

A member of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Aare (Hon.) Durotolu Oyebode Bankole, has advised politicians nursing presidential ambitions ahead of the 2027 general elections to reconsider their plans, insisting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will secure a landslide victory.

In a statement signed on Tuesday, Bankole described any move to challenge the President in 2027 as a waste of resources, declaring, “Don’t waste your money: President Tinubu will secure a landslide victory in 2027.”

He said those considering presidential bids should “abandon such pursuits,” describing them as “futile,” and urged Nigerians to rally behind the President whom he called “the visionary leader currently transforming Nigeria.”

Bankole warned that “any attempt to challenge President Tinubu would constitute financial recklessness,” stressing that the President is set to decisively defeat any opposition based on what he termed unprecedented achievements and growing public support.

The APC chieftain anchored his confidence on the outcome of the 2023 presidential election as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), where Tinubu polled 8,794,726 votes to defeat his closest rivals, Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, who scored 6,984,520 votes, and Peter Obi of the Labour Party, who secured 6,101,533 votes.

According to him, the President not only won 12 states but also met the constitutional requirement of scoring at least 25 per cent of the votes in two-thirds of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

He noted that recent opinion polls have shown improved public perception of the administration. Citing a September survey by NOIPolls, Bankole said the President’s approval rating has risen to 51 per cent, the highest since the beginning of the administration, compared to an earlier average of 27.5 per cent in his first year in office.

Bankole said the achievements of the administration cut across infrastructure, housing, education and the economy. He highlighted over 440 ongoing road projects and more than 2,700 kilometres of superhighways, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and Sokoto-Badagry Highway, as well as major foreign direct investments and increased oil production.

On housing, he referenced the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates programme and quoted the President’s August 2024 nationwide address, saying the initiative will “provide homes, create thousands of jobs, and stimulate economic growth.”

In education, he cited the Student Loan Scheme, investments in medical education, and solar power projects in federal tertiary institutions. On the economy, he pointed to GDP growth of 4.23 per cent in the second quarter of 2025, the removal of fuel subsidies and multiple exchange rates, and the new N70,000 national minimum wage.

He also quoted the President’s New Year 2026 message, where Tinubu pledged: “We will accelerate the implementation of the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme, aiming to bring at least 10 million Nigerians into productive economic activity.”

Taking a swipe at opposition parties, including the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Bankole described their criticisms as attempts to undermine progress.

He maintained that “any attempt by individuals or groups to undermine this government will be maximally resisted,” adding that the APC “remains steadfast in its commitment to good governance under the rule of law.”

Bankole concluded by urging Nigerians to support the President, insisting that under Tinubu’s leadership, “Nigeria and Nigerians are safe, prosperous, and poised for greatness.”