A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Joe Igbokwe, has expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu will win re-election in 2027 and complete eight years in office, insisting that opposition parties lack the political strength to prevent him from securing a second term.
Igbokwe, a former APC publicity secretary in Lagos State, made the declaration at a political gathering in Lagos on Friday, October 23, where he urged supporters across southern Nigeria, particularly in the South-East, to back Tinubu’s re-election bid.
“Asiwaju (President Bola Tinubu) must rule eight years. All of them put together cannot beat him,” Igbokwe said, arguing that opposition politicians were underestimating the President’s political network and the strength of the ruling party.
He maintained that Tinubu had fought a difficult political battle to win the 2023 presidential election and questioned why opposition parties believed they could remove him from office in 2027.
The APC chieftain also credited Tinubu with playing a major role in the emergence of former President Muhammadu Buhari, claiming that the President had been instrumental in helping Buhari secure power and complete two terms in office.
Igbokwe called on the South-East and other parts of southern Nigeria to support Tinubu, arguing that stronger electoral backing for the President could improve the region’s position in future political negotiations.
“With our numbers, our education. With what we have achieved in Nigeria, nobody can dictate to us,” he said, urging voters to consider the potential political implications of their choices.
He further suggested that support for Tinubu could encourage reciprocal backing for the South-East in future elections, framing the appeal as an opportunity to strengthen the region’s political influence.
Igbokwe’s remarks reflect the APC’s confidence in Tinubu’s prospects ahead of the 2027 election. However, his prediction remains a political assertion rather than an established electoral outcome, with the eventual result depending on voters’ choices and the conduct of the election.
As political parties prepare for the contest, competing assessments of Tinubu’s performance, economic reforms, security record and public support are expected to remain central to the campaign.