Businessman and political commentator Isaac Fayose has expressed confidence that Peter Obi will win the 2027 presidential election regardless of the level of support he receives from voters in the South-East.
Fayose, younger brother of former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, made the assertion in a video shared on his Facebook page on Wednesday while speaking about the former Anambra governor’s political prospects ahead of the next presidential contest.
He also attacked Igbo supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing those who back the ruling party in highly critical terms.
Fayose argued that Obi had achieved more politically than any other Igbo politician in the past four decades, with the exception of the late Biafran leader and former military officer, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.
He further maintained that Obi’s political support base extends beyond the South-East and that the former Labour Party presidential candidate could secure victory without relying exclusively on Igbo votes.
The comments come as political parties and emerging opposition alliances intensify preparations for the 2027 presidential election, with Obi now associated with the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the political realignment ahead of the poll.
Fayose’s intervention also highlights an increasingly contentious question within Nigerian politics: the extent to which regional voting patterns will influence the 2027 presidential contest.
Obi secured significant support among voters across the South-East and parts of other regions in the 2023 election, finishing third nationally behind Bola Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar.
His supporters have since argued that his political appeal is not restricted to the South-East, pointing to the support he received among younger voters and in several urban centres outside the region.
However, the ability of any presidential candidate to win Nigeria’s presidency ultimately depends on meeting the constitutional requirements for victory and building a geographically broad coalition across the federation.
Fayose’s prediction therefore represents a political assessment rather than an established electoral outcome, with the 2027 contest still ahead and the major political alignments continuing to evolve.
His remarks are likely to further fuel debate over Obi’s electoral strategy, the role of regional voting blocs and the prospects of opposition forces seeking to challenge the APC in 2027.