Even if Tinubu appoints Seyi as INEC chairman, he’ll be defeated in 2027 — Dalung

By Adewale Adesewa

Former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, has said the outcome of the Osun State governorship election has laid the foundation for what Nigerians should expect in the 2027 general elections.

Dalung, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday. He argued that the Osun election had demonstrated that the influence of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), including what he described as “federal might,” could be defeated at the polls.

According to Dalung, the outcome of the election was a confirmation of his earlier prediction about the 2027 presidential election.

“What happened in Osun is a confirmation of what I said two years ago, that even if Tinubu appointed his wife, Remi Tinubu, as Chief Justice of Nigeria and appointed Seyi, his son, as INEC chairman, he is going to be defeated woefully in 2027,” he said.

Dalung said the Osun election had shown that the political structures and influence of the ruling party could not automatically guarantee victory.
“When the election in Osun has come and gone, it has laid the foundation that is going to play out in 2027. The issue of federal might, incumbency, APC being the party in government, has already been put to rest because Nigerians in Osun have proved that there is determination to defend democracy,” he said.

Dalung further argued that the presence of several political heavyweights and government officials in Osun did not translate into electoral victory for the APC.

“Despite the federal might, despite the 30 governors, 45 members of the National Assembly, national chairman, Senate president, Speaker, all congregating in Osun, APC suffered a humiliating defeat,” he said.

The ex-minister also criticised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over his comments following the election, arguing that Wike should explain the resources deployed by the APC during the campaign instead of blaming the ADC.

“I think reacting to that is what my friend, the Minister of FCT, is trying to cover up. The share of how they lost in Osun, and so for him, he can relocate that blame to look at the ADC. But why is he not talking of the huge mobilisation resources from all the states wasted there and the humiliating loss APC suffered?” he asked.

Dalung maintained that the Osun result was significant because, in his view, it demonstrated that political power and government structures alone could not determine electoral outcomes.

He also disputed any suggestion that the ADC was responsible for the APC’s defeat in Osun, stressing that the party was not responsible for the outcome.

Dalung further said the 2027 presidential election would ultimately be about the choice Nigerians make at the ballot box rather than simply a contest between President Tinubu and opposition parties.

“2027 is not going to be an issue of Tinubu; it is not even going to be an issue of opposition. No. But the man Nigerians are going to be electing in 2027,” he said.
He also identified regional considerations and the performance of the president as factors that could influence the 2027 election.

“In 2027, regionalism is going to be a factor in the determination of the election. In 2027, too, the President’s performance is going to be an issue,” said the former minister.
Dalung said he remained convinced that Tinubu would ultimately be defeated, arguing that the governors who had moved into the APC would not be enough to secure victory for the president.

“But on the overall, the President will be defeated woefully because he has assembled the people who have also abandoned the people. The governors whom he has brought to his party can never bail him out. It has been established in Osun. Their gatherings were gatherings of mourners,” he said.

Beyond the 2027 election, the former minister criticised what he described as poor leadership and urged political office holders to prioritise Nigerians and their constitutional responsibilities.
“If we have leaders that believe in the people and believe in their oath of office and know that the Constitution imposes on them an obligation that they should protect lives and property and the social wellbeing of the people, they will definitely do that,” Dalung said.

He also warned political leaders against concentrating on wealth accumulation at the expense of leaving a positive legacy.

“If we have leaders who have conscience, who know that all this money they are busy stockpiling, one day they will depart this earth without anything, they will concentrate on building a legacy that they will be remembered for,” he said.

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