2027: ADC dismisses The Economist’s report on Tinubu as ‘poor journalism’
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, has criticized a recent article from The Economist regarding President Bola Tinubu’s prospects for the 2027 presidential election, labeling it an example of “poor journalism.”
The Economist reported that Tinubu might maintain the presidency in 2027 despite widespread public dissatisfaction over issues such as insecurity and economic hardship. In an interview with Trust TV, Abdullahi raised concerns about treating a news article as an electoral forecast.
“I’m embarrassed that we are elevating a mere story to the level of an electoral projection,” he stated, further explaining that using the authority of the publication did not enhance the report’s credibility. Abdullahi described this reasoning as an appeal to authority, suggesting it lacked a strong foundation.
“I read that story, and as a piece of journalism, it’s poor journalism,” he remarked. He argued that the conclusions drawn were based on limited interviews conducted in Borno state, which he asserted were insufficient to represent national sentiment.
“When you sit in one place in Borno, and you spoke to a couple of people and then used that to extrapolate for the entire country, that’s not journalism,” Abdullahi said.
A former newspaper editor, Abdullahi noted that he would have rejected such a report if it had been submitted during his tenure at ThisDay newspaper. “That’s not the way we do this work,” he said. “If a reporter brought that to me, I would throw it back at him and say it’s lazy reporting.”
When asked if his criticism suggested that The Economist was a lazy platform, Abdullahi clarified that his objection was specific to the report in question. “I’m saying that that story is poor journalism, and it cannot be excused just because it was published by The Economist,” he emphasized.
Abdullahi’s remarks come as political activities intensify in anticipation of the 2027 presidential election, with various parties closely examining reports and projections relevant to the contest.
