‘Anybody on the ballot will defeat Tinubu’ – Dalung

Former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, has expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu would lose the 2027 presidential election, regardless of who emerges as his opponent.

Dalung, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress,ADC, made the assertion on Thursday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he discussed the opposition’s chances of challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

Expressing his assessment of Tinubu’s electoral strength, Dalung said even an ordinary person picked from the street could defeat the President in a presidential contest.

“I have never seen a weak president in an election like Bola Ahmed Tinubu. If you drag anybody on the street and put him on a ballot at a contest with Tinubu, he will defeat him,” he said.

The ADC chieftain made the comments while responding to questions about how opposition parties could overcome the APC’s financial resources amid the ADC’s ongoing leadership dispute and legal challenges.

Dalung also accused the ruling party of frustrating opposition campaign activities, alleging that venues for rallies had been closed, hotels taken over and party offices sealed.

Comparing the situation with the 2014 election period, he argued that the APC would have struggled to campaign if the then-ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had imposed similar restrictions on its activities.

He maintained that pushing opposition parties to hold gatherings on the streets would not weaken their support base, insisting that those attending such events were genuine supporters rather than crowds hired to fill political rallies.

According to him, the people turning out for opposition gatherings were potential voters who would determine the outcome of the 2027 election.