2027: Tinubu will face Nigerians, not opposition figures — Makinde camp fires back at APC chairman
Ehilebo Questions Tinubu’s Achievements Ahead of 2027 Election
By Luminous Jannamike
ABUJA – Anthony Ehilebo, the Special Adviser on Media and Digital Communication for Governor Seyi Makinde’s presidential campaign, has rejected claims by the All Progressives Congress (APC) that opposition candidates such as Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and Donald Duke are insufficiently competitive against President Bola Tinubu in the upcoming 2027 election. Ehilebo asserted that the President should focus more on the needs of Nigerians rather than on opposition figures.
APC National Chairman Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda expressed confidence in Tinubu’s prospects, citing the incumbent’s achievements in infrastructure and other sectors during a meeting with members of the Forum of APC House of Representatives Aspirants at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja.
In a conversation with Vanguard, Ehilebo challenged Tinubu to defend his administration’s record directly to the public, particularly in Kaduna, where he suggested economic challenges and infrastructure issues would resonate with voters. He encouraged the President to campaign there on October 24.
“If the President is not afraid, he should come out and go to Kaduna on 24 October to campaign,” Ehilebo said. “If he believes he has performed well, I double-dare him to go to Kaduna and declare that he wants to run for a second term.”
Ehilebo emphasized that the election would represent a broader contest pitting the ruling party against the Nigerian electorate, rather than a simple face-off against individual opposition candidates.
“The election is not between us and the APC or between the APM and the APC. It is the APC versus Nigerians,” Ehilebo stated. “The APC will simply line up, and it will be facing 240 million Nigerians, plus the nearly 50% of the population that has been plunged into extreme multidimensional poverty.”
The advisor went on to question Tinubu’s record in key areas such as education, healthcare, and infrastructure. Ehilebo asked the President to identify major projects completed during his tenure.
“Since President Tinubu came to power, which university has he built? Name one university,” Ehilebo challenged, highlighting that former President Goodluck Jonathan constructed six universities before leaving office. He further questioned, “Can you tell me one general hospital that Tinubu has built since he became President? Which road has he repaired?”
Ehilebo also criticized the government’s spending priorities, particularly regarding the coastal highway project, stating it was an unnecessary expenditure of N15 trillion that could have been used to address more pressing road infrastructure needs.
Citing current petrol prices, Ehilebo argued that the economic realities faced by Nigerians contradicted the assurances Tinubu made during his inauguration. “Petrol is now selling at N1,086.5, despite the assurances the President gave Nigerians in his inaugural address on 29 May 2023,” he noted.
Ehilebo contended that the public’s dissatisfaction should be the primary concern for the President. “The President should be afraid of Nigerians,” he said.
As the election approaches, he forecasted that voters would hold Tinubu accountable, employing a food metaphor to illustrate his point. “I have told everybody that on 16 January, Nigerians will serve Tinubu his food. Similarly, Nigerians will collectively cook for Tinubu to eat on 16 January 2027,” he added.
