By Dickson Omobola

National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, on Wednesday said President Bola Tinubu will lose the 2027 general elections before 4 pm if the poll were credible, free and fair.

Baba-Ahmed described the All Progressives Congress, APC, as a monster eating itself up, saying that despite controlling the National Assembly and having 31 state governors, the President remained uneasy because Nigeria had become worse under his leadership.

He spoke on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, where he said Governor Ademola Adeleke’s victory in the Osun State governorship election had demonstrated that the APC could be defeated at the polls.

He said: “I saw the now sworn-in Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State speak in a very confident, very comfortable manner. APC was trounced in Osun. We didn’t even see a coalition or collaboration or a gang-up against the APC. Parties all competed against one another. Yet, APC was defeated. We have even heard stories that there was a deal between President Tinubu and Governor Ademola Adeleke. But we don’t believe that. We believe that the ruling party, Accord Party, defeated APC comprehensively. There’s no reason why this cannot repeat itself at a national level.

“APC is not a party. It is a monster eating itself up and eating everybody up. You have a party that has a president who is quite possibly the most powerful president, who has either given himself or been given by the people around him the most awesome powers to do anything he wants. You have a president who believes he must have all the power around him. He appears to have garnered the support of 31 governors and quite possibly about 75 per cent of the National Assembly, yet he’s still uncomfortable. It’s politically monstrous.

“If it’s a credible, free and fair election, I assure you, Tinubu will lose. I won’t say before 12 noon. Maybe before 4 pm. Nobody should praise INEC until it can actually conduct an election in which the President is a contestant. I hope the election will be credible, free and fair. If it’s not, I foresee a very serious threat to Nigeria’s democracy.”

The National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator David Mark, has warned against the use of state institutions to manipulate the 2027 general elections, insisting that the credibility of the polls must be “non-negotiable”.

Mark also cautioned against intimidation, violence and other forms of electoral malpractice, saying the ADC expected the next general elections to be transparent, inclusive, peaceful and free from interference.

The former Senate President spoke on Wednesday in Abuja when he received a delegation from the International Republican Institute (IRI), which is in Nigeria as part of its assessment of preparations for the 2027 elections.

According to Mark, the integrity of the electoral process would be critical to determining whether Nigerians would have confidence in the outcome of the 2027 polls.

“For us in the ADC, the credibility of the 2027 elections must be non-negotiable. We expect the electoral process to be transparent, inclusive, peaceful and free from manipulation, intimidation and the abuse of state institutions,” Mark said.

He expressed concern over what he described as the recurring abuse of the electoral process by governments in power as well as non-state actors, warning that such practices could undermine democratic governance and erode public confidence in elections.

Mark made particular reference to the violence and intimidation reported during the recently concluded Osun State governorship election, which he said should serve as a warning ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He said reports indicated that no fewer than 30 people were killed during the election, describing the development as reprehensible and condemnable.

“Elections should not be treated as war or a do-or-die affair. There should be a democratic process through which citizens freely choose their leaders and advance their aspirations for development and a better quality of life,” he said.

The ADC chairman said his party was committed to an electoral process conducted in a secure environment where voters could freely cast their ballots without fear or intimidation.

He added that every vote must count and that mandates freely given by the electorate must be respected.

His comments come as political parties and other stakeholders intensify preparations for the 2027 general elections, with concerns over electoral violence, the neutrality of state institutions and the credibility of the electoral process already featuring prominently in discussions ahead of the polls.

Earlier, the IRI delegation said its visit was aimed at assessing the country’s level of preparedness and engaging key stakeholders on issues that could affect the conduct of the elections.

The African Regional Director of IRI, Jenai Cox, said the organisation was conducting a pre-election assessment mission to evaluate preparations for the 2027 polls.

The newly appointed Commissioner for Information and Orientation in Cross River State, Pastor Ekpenyong Cobham, has given reasons for the removal of former chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state, Mr Alphonsus Ogar Eba.

Cobham spoke during his maiden interaction with journalists in Calabar, where he said Eba’s removal followed allegations of financial impropriety, maladministration and failure to meet some obligations to members of the party’s State Working Committee.

Eba, who served as APC chairman during the administration of former Governor Ben Ayade and the first two years of the administration of Governor Bassey Otu, has since joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), where he is the running mate to the party’s governorship candidate.

The former APC chairman had recently criticised the Otu administration, alleging, among other things, that government contracts were being awarded to associates and family members and that funds were being paid to groups to prevent violence and other vices.

Responding to the allegations, Cobham questioned Eba’s credibility to make such accusations, citing allegations previously levelled against him during his time as Director-General of the state’s Due Process Office.

According to the commissioner, Eba allegedly failed to adhere to the principles guiding the office and was involved in transactions concerning public assets that he said raised questions about due process.

Cobham challenged critics of the administration to engage the government on its policies and performance, saying they should “call for a debate, try and raise the bar, educate themselves to the strata we are operating under.”

He also said Eba, as a lawyer, had the option of seeking legal redress if he believed his removal from office was unjustified.

“If he thinks he was pushed out of office wrongly, he is a lawyer. He should have gone to court,” Cobham said.

On Eba’s movement from the APC to the PDP and his emergence as a deputy governorship candidate, Cobham said the former APC chairman appeared to be celebrating his political fortunes prematurely, insisting that the outcome of the election would ultimately determine the strength of the claim.