A former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has claimed that Peter Obi scuppered his chances for the 2027 presidential election after defecting from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to join the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Appearing on TVC News’ Politics Tonight on Tuesday to evaluate the opposition’s prospects, Fayose argued that the departure of Obi and other prominent political figures from the ADC eliminated any realistic opportunity to present a united front against the governing All Progressives Congress (APC).
“When they were all together in ADC, I would tell anybody that they will make an impact,” Fayose said. “The day Obi left ADC for NDC, that day Obi lost.”
Despite praising the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate as “a fantastic Nigerian who has made his marks, who has shown that things can get better,” the former governor maintained that continued disunity amongst opposition groups would ensure their defeat. “But when opposition, when they don’t come together, they will continue to lose,” he remarked.
Fayose insisted it is now far too late for opposition politicians to alter their strategy, given that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has already formally accredited candidates.
“It’s too late now,” he noted. “INEC has accredited everybody. Even if you say you are not doing again, you’re on your own.” He further commented: “You have put your feet in the water. You can’t get out. You have gotten wet already.”
Turning to the electoral outlook for President Bola Tinubu, Fayose suggested that South-West political dynamics heavily favour President Bola Tinubu. Supported by key regional political figures, Fayose predicted Tinubu could secure nearly four million votes in the region.
“In the West alone, Tinubu will get close to about four million votes,” Fayose asserted, adding, “When you look at the pattern of the last election, Tinubu will win this election close to about 65 per cent.”
Fayose also dismissed claims that recent electoral irregularities in the Osun gubernatorial election were limited to a single political party. He noted that supporters across the APC, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Accord Party were all implicated in vote-buying schemes, describing such accusations as “mere desperation.”
“The two sides clearly, going by what we saw on the television on Saturday, police arrested the two sides sharing money,” he observed. “So don’t come and tell me they are saints both ways.”