Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) spokesperson, Segun Sowunmi, has expressed concern over the controversy he believes could follow the 2027 presidential election, saying President Bola Tinubu may face allegations of electoral manipulation even if he secures victory.

Sowunmi spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday while discussing Tinubu’s prospects in the 2027 presidential race.

The PDP chieftain said the outcome of the election itself would not be the only issue confronting the country, arguing that the reaction of defeated candidates and their supporters could have greater implications for national stability.

“I pity him (Tinubu) because after he wins, they’re going to start saying he rigged,” Sowunmi said.

He maintained that the ability of political parties and their supporters to accept the result of the election would be critical to maintaining peace after the poll.

According to him, the electorate has the power to determine who governs them, and politicians must be willing to respect that choice even when the result favours their opponents.

“The biggest challenge for the stability of this country going forward is not so much who will win or who will lose, but how they will accept outcomes,” he said.

Sowunmi said an election could produce a result different from the expectations of a candidate, stressing that such an outcome should not automatically become a basis for claims of wrongdoing or attempts to destabilise the country.

“Because if you do an election and people can vote for you, they can vote for your rival,” he said.

He added that continued rejection of an electoral outcome after an opponent has been declared winner could create a situation where the person who received the people’s votes becomes the target of accusations and agitation.

“And if they do happen to vote for your rival and he wins, if you insist that all you are going to be doing is screaming up and down and instigating the society, how does the winner become the victim of the votes people gave him?” Sowunmi asked.

He urged political actors to place the stability of Nigeria above partisan interests by accepting the decision of voters and pursuing legitimate channels to challenge disputed results.

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has said that former President Olusegun Obasanjo does not have any political value.

Speaking to newsmen on Wednesday, Atiku said he was not bothered by Obasanjo’s refusal to endorse him.

“In 1999, he could not even win his own state or the Southwest; it was Arewa that made him President. He possesses no electoral value,” Atiku said.

Recall that the duo have not been on good terms since they left office in 2007 after completing their second term of eight years as President and Vice President, respectively.

Atiku had revealed that he opposed Obasanjo’s third-term bid to defend Nigeria’s Constitution and democracy rather than out of personal loyalty.

Speaking on the 2027 general elections, Atiku said that as Vice President of Nigeria he gave many young Nigerians the opportunity to serve in government.

According to him, some of them are now governors, ministers, directors and holders of other important positions, adding that if he becomes President, young Nigerians will continue to be given opportunities to serve and lead.

Former Vice President and 2027 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has pledged to reinstate the fuel subsidy regime if he is elected president of Nigeria in 2027.

Atiku argued that the removal of the fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu’s administration has not yielded any benefit for Nigeria.

Tinubu announced the removal of the subsidy during his inaugural presidential address in May 2023, a decision that immediately exacerbated the economic difficulties faced by citizens, with the prices of goods and services soaring to unprecedented levels.

Nevertheless, the current administration maintains that it has since increased monthly allocations to states and initiated infrastructure projects across the nation.

Despite having previously endorsed the removal of the fuel subsidy, Atiku Abubakar contends that it has not served the interests of the populace.

“I initially did not oppose the removal of the fuel subsidy. But now that it has been removed, where is the money? Where has the subsidy money gone? Has it been used to improve healthcare, education or security?” He said in an interview on social media.

“If I win the presidential election, I will restore the subsidy. And anyone who stole Nigeria’s subsidy funds must return the money,” he added.

Atiku is hoping to defeat the incumbent President and candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu, and his former vice-presidential candidate, Peter Obi, who is the flag bearer of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC.