…Says No Confusion Over Tinubu’s Rainbow Coalition
ABUJA — The Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lere Olayinka, has dismissed the growing number of presidential candidates ahead of the 2027 general election, describing some opposition politicians as “content creators” rather than serious contenders for the presidency.
Olayinka, who is also a spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Tinubu’s Presidential Campaign Council, said the presence of multiple candidates on the ballot did not necessarily pose a serious challenge to the incumbent.
He stated this on Thursday while appearing on TVC’s political programme, Beyond The Headlines, where he assessed the preparedness of opposition parties for the 2027 presidential election.
The FCT minister’s aide took aim at former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, questioning their political strategies and chances in the forthcoming poll.
On Atiku, Olayinka criticised the former vice-president’s repeated attempts to become president, describing his latest ambition as another chapter in a decades-long political pursuit.
“Someone who started contesting for president since 1993… this is his eighth time. Anytime the whistle is blown, if today they say there should be election of president every month, Atiku would be contesting every month,” he said.
He also accused Atiku of inconsistency over fuel subsidy, recalling his description of the policy as fraudulent in 2022 and alleging that he later advocated its restoration.
Olayinka was equally critical of Obi, whom he accused of making inconsistent statements and struggling to manage political organisations.
“Peter Obi is more like a content creator — he says something today, he says another thing tomorrow,” he said.
He questioned Obi’s ability to manage national challenges, citing his departures from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party amid internal disputes.
“Someone who has not been able to manage an ordinary political party… does that mean if he becomes president and there is a problem in Nigeria, he will run and go to Cameroon?” he queried.
The APC spokesperson also questioned Sowore’s electoral strength, citing the 14,600 votes reportedly secured by the AAC candidate in the 2023 presidential election.
“For instance, the candidate of AAC, Omoyele Sowore, had 14,600 votes in 2023. How would that person win the election next year? They know that they cannot win,” he said.
According to Olayinka, some politicians contest elections not necessarily to win but to establish their presence in the political space.
“It is not everybody that contests elections that wants to win. There are people that contest elections just to register their presence,” he added.
He also questioned the grassroots reach of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), arguing that a presidential candidate needed a strong national structure, adequate personnel and the capacity to mobilise voters and protect votes across polling units.
Olayinka maintained that social media popularity and public visibility alone were insufficient to secure electoral victory without an effective nationwide organisation.
No Confusion Over Rainbow Coalition
On the political alliances supporting Tinubu’s re-election bid, Olayinka dismissed suggestions that disagreements among political stakeholders had created confusion within the emerging coalition.
He cited cooperation between the APC and the Accord Party in Osun State as an example of collaboration aimed at delivering votes for the President.
“APC in Osun State and Accord Party are working together. It is a coalition. They are working to deliver votes to the president,” he said.
Olayinka expressed confidence that the APC’s coalition-building efforts and grassroots mobilisation would strengthen Tinubu’s campaign in 2027.
He argued that opposition parties had yet to present a coherent alternative to the Tinubu administration, alleging that some of their campaigns relied more on public sentiment and social media trends than on demonstrable achievements.
To support his position, he cited road construction, urban renewal and other development projects in the FCT under Minister Nyesom Wike, describing them as evidence of the administration’s commitment to infrastructure development.
His comments come as political parties and aspirants intensify preparations for the 2027 general election, with alliances, party structures and candidate selection expected to shape the contest.
