2027: NDC Predicts Wider Obi Victory Over Tinubu in Lagos

2027: NDC Predicts Wider Obi Victory Over Tinubu in Lagos

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has expressed confidence that its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, will defeat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Lagos State in the 2027 presidential election, predicting that the former Anambra State governor will win by a wider margin than he did in 2023.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, said Obi’s victory over Tinubu in Lagos during the 2023 presidential election was not accidental, describing it as a reflection of the political mood in the state.

Director said the NDC expected Obi to build on his previous performance if the 2027 election was conducted under conditions the party considers free and fair.

He also challenged the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its supporters to allow voters to determine the outcome of the election without intimidation, violence, inducement or other forms of electoral malpractice.

According to him, the NDC has studied the lessons of the 2023 election and is preparing to strengthen its structures and protect its votes across the country.

Director said the party was prepared to confront any challenges that could arise during the election, including alleged attempts to intimidate voters or disrupt the electoral process.

Another NDC candidate in Lagos, Ladipo Johnson, also expressed confidence in Obi’s prospects in the state, attributing the expected improvement to what he described as dissatisfaction with the Tinubu administration.

Johnson said Obi would win Lagos again and by a wider margin, adding that the NDC had become stronger following the realignment of opposition politicians and political groups ahead of the 2027 election.

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He also raised concerns about possible voter intimidation, harassment and vote buying, urging Nigerians to protect their votes and ensure that electoral choices are respected.

However, the claims by Director and Johnson about Obi’s expected performance in Lagos are political predictions by NDC officials and do not constitute an established election outcome.

The 2023 presidential election remains the latest completed presidential contest in Lagos. Obi won the state with 582,454 votes, narrowly ahead of Tinubu, who polled 572,606 votes, according to results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Obi won nine of Lagos State’s 20 local government areas, including Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Amuwo-Odofin, Eti-Osa, Ikeja, Kosofe, Oshodi-Isolo, Somolu, Ojo and Alimosho.

Tinubu won the remaining 11 local government areas: Agege, Apapa, Badagry, Epe, Ibeju-Lekki, Ifako-Ijaiye, Ikorodu, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland, Mushin and Surulere.

The result made Lagos one of the closely watched states in the 2023 presidential contest, particularly because Tinubu had previously served as governor of the state and maintained a significant political structure there.

The political landscape has since changed considerably ahead of the 2027 election.

INEC has published its final list of presidential candidates, with 18 candidates cleared to contest the January 16, 2027 presidential election.

Tinubu is listed as the APC presidential candidate, while former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is contesting under the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Obi is listed as the presidential candidate of the NDC, with former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as his running mate.

The changes mean that the party alignments and political structures involved in the 2027 contest are different from those that shaped the 2023 election.

Obi’s move from the Labour Party to the NDC has also changed the political platform through which he is seeking the presidency, while Kwankwaso’s emergence as his running mate has brought another major political bloc into the NDC structure.

For the NDC, Lagos remains an important target as it seeks to expand Obi’s support beyond the areas where he performed strongly in 2023.

The party’s argument is based partly on the margin by which Obi won Lagos in 2023 and its assessment of the current political environment in the state.

The APC, meanwhile, remains a major political force in Lagos, where it has maintained a strong organisational structure over several election cycles.

The 2027 contest will therefore take place against a different political backdrop, with new party alliances, candidates and campaign structures competing for the support of Lagos voters.

Beyond Lagos, the NDC is seeking to build a nationwide campaign around Obi’s candidacy, while the APC and other parties are also working to consolidate their respective support bases.

Issues likely to shape the campaign include the economy, cost of living, security, employment, governance, electoral credibility and the performance of the federal government.

The NDC has continued to emphasise the need for a credible electoral process, with its officials urging security agencies, electoral authorities and political parties to ensure that voters can cast their ballots without intimidation.

For now, the prediction that Obi will defeat Tinubu by a wider margin in Lagos remains the stated expectation of the NDC and its candidates.

The actual result will depend on the votes cast and officially declared in the 2027 presidential election.

2027: NDC Predicts Wider Obi Victory Over Tinubu in Lagos