A retired Professor of Sociology and former National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Lai Olurode, has predicted that President Bola Tinubu could secure a decisive victory in the 2027 presidential election.
Olurode shared his position in a statement titled “My Arguments for President Tinubu’s Re-election Bid,” where he highlighted several factors he believes could improve Tinubu’s chances compared with the 2023 election.
Why Olurode Believes Tinubu Will Perform Better
According to the former INEC commissioner, the political environment surrounding Tinubu has changed significantly since 2023.
He argued that the president did not enjoy the full support of his party during the last election, claiming that some governors kept their distance from him.
“There was no federal might deployed in his favour. Even some state governors treated him as a political leper and were afraid of publicly identifying with him,” Olurode said.
He also praised Tinubu for taking what he described as difficult political and economic decisions, including the removal of the petrol subsidy.
On security, Olurode credited the administration with coordinated intelligence operations which he said had helped weaken banditry in some parts of the country.
He also pointed to infrastructure development, claiming that almost 6,000 kilometres of roads had been completed under Tinubu in less than four years.
Olurode Defends Tinubu After Osun Election Loss
Olurode also addressed the APC’s defeat in the Osun governorship election, arguing that the result should not automatically be interpreted as a rejection of Tinubu.
He said voters could distinguish between state and federal politics, insisting that “Only naive political analysts will interpret this as a vote of no confidence in President Tinubu.”
However, he called for increased government investment in healthcare and education.
Olurode ultimately predicted that Tinubu would perform better in 2027 than he did in 2023.
“My personal opinion is that on all these variables alone, President Tinubu is most likely to earn more votes in the 2027 Presidential race than he did in 2023,” he said.
