Dalung predicts Tinubu will lose 2027 election citing eroded northern support
Former Minister of Youth and Sports Development Solomon Dalung told Channels Television’s Politics Today that President Bola Tinubu will be “beaten woefully” in the 2027 presidential election, arguing that the president has lost much of the northern support that secured his 8.7 million‑vote victory in 2023. Dalung said about 5.5 million of those votes came from the North, largely due to former President Muhammadu Buhari’s political influence and the Muslim‑Muslim ticket, and that Buhari’s death has withdrawn that backing, leaving Tinubu with roughly 3.7 million votes.
He cited the August 15 2026 Osun governorship election as evidence that incumbency and financial muscle no longer guarantee wins, noting that numerous APC governors, ministers and officials campaigned there yet failed to secure victory for the party. Dalung also accused the Tinubu administration of recklessness and impunity, saying its mismanagement has turned it into a campaign asset for the opposition.
The former minister, now a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), endorsed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi as the opposition pairing best positioned to lead Nigeria after 2027, describing the ADC as a growing platform for forces challenging Tinubu.
Given these projections, what strategies might Tinubu employ to recover northern trust, and how could opposition candidates consolidate the anticipated shift in voter sentiment?