2027: Tinubu promises to fight opponents to finish line

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has issued a stern warning to political opponents eyeing the 2027 elections, declaring he will not concede ground without a significant fight. Receiving the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Tinubu asserted that "all is fair in politics" and that any challenger would face a determined struggle.

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Those who would take it from me will try. They will try. All is fair in politics, and there is equal opportunity. I won’t offer them a red carpet. I won’t offer them the leash to tie me at home. No, we will wrestle each other to the finishing point. That’s the truth. That is fair in politics.

"I won’t offer them a red carpet. I won’t offer them the leash to tie me at home. No, we will wrestle each other to the finishing point. That’s the truth. That is fair in politics," the President told the bishops, dismissing any notion of an easy path for his rivals.

Tinubu also defended the neutrality of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against accusations of bias. He argued that political opponents complaining about the electoral process are merely projecting their own fears. "INEC is neutral. It has never, ever intimidated anybody. If political opponents are crying wolf, then they are afraid of their own shadows and the uncertainty in the company they keep," he stated.

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INEC is neutral. It has never, ever intimidated anybody. If political opponents are crying wolf, then they are afraid of their own shadows and the uncertainty in the company they keep.

Addressing the impact of his administration's reforms, President Tinubu pointed to the uninterrupted academic calendar as a concrete dividend. He expressed gratitude that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is not currently on strike, viewing it as an answer to prayers. "None of your children in university today... can say a four-year course is not four years. ASUU is not on strike. They are not bringing agony to your homes. Is that not an answer to our prayers?" he asked.

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None of your children in university today, and I would say they are all your children because you are Reverend Fathers, can say a four-year course is not four years. ASUU is not on strike. They are not bringing agony to your homes. Is that not an answer to our prayers? To me, that’s an answer.

On the broader economic front, Tinubu acknowledged inheriting both assets and liabilities from the previous administration but insisted that stabilization has been achieved and prosperity is on the horizon. He also touched upon the return of mission schools to their original proprietors, noting that while the power to act lies with state governors, he had precedent from his time as Lagos State governor.

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This government has stabilised, and there is prosperity on the horizon. The quality of life is improving. I inherited it. I didn’t run away. I asked for this job. I’m in it.