Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has said Peter Obi weakened his chances of making a strong impact in the 2027 presidential election by leaving the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Fayose made the comment during an interview on TVC News’ Politics Tonight on Tuesday while assessing the strength of the opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to him, the opposition stood a better chance of challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) when its major political figures were united under the ADC.
“When they were all together in ADC, I would tell anybody that they will make an impact. The day Obi left ADC for NDC, that day Obi lost,” Fayose said.
The former governor, however, acknowledged Obi’s record and described him as “a fantastic Nigerian” who had demonstrated that the country could achieve better governance.
He maintained that the opposition’s inability to remain united would continue to undermine its chances against the APC.
“But when opposition, when they don’t come together, they will continue to lose,” he said.
Fayose also ruled out the possibility of opposition candidates reversing their decisions at this stage of the electoral process, noting that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had already accredited the candidates.
“It’s too late now. INEC has accredited everybody. Even if you say you are not doing again, you’re on your own,” he said.
“You have put your feet in the water. You can’t get out. You have gotten wet already,” he added.
On President Bola Tinubu’s prospects in the 2027 presidential election, Fayose said the political calculations in the South-West currently appeared to favour the President.
He projected that Tinubu could secure close to four million votes from the region, citing voting patterns from the 2023 presidential election.
“In the West alone, Tinubu will get close to about four million votes,” Fayose said.
He further predicted that Tinubu could secure about 65 per cent of the votes in the region based on the current political landscape.
Fayose also weighed in on allegations of vote-buying during the recent Osun State governorship election, rejecting claims that electoral malpractice was the responsibility of only one political party.
He said supporters of the APC, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Accord Party were among those allegedly involved in vote-buying during the election.
According to him, reports of arrests by security agencies showed that individuals linked to different political camps were involved.
“It’s mere desperation. Mere desperation,” Fayose said.
He added that electoral malpractice remained a systemic problem that could not be blamed solely on one political party.
“We have a lot to put right. It’s the system. It’s systemic. It is a problem that has to be addressed,” he said.
