President Bola Tinubu has declared that he is prepared to battle the opposition ahead of the 2027 presidential election, insisting he will not make it easy for political rivals seeking to unseat him.
The President made the remarks on Tuesday while receiving members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), led by its President, Most Rev. Matthew Ndagoso, at the State House in Abuja.
Speaking on the forthcoming general election, Tinubu maintained that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) remained neutral and rejected allegations of bias often levelled against the electoral body by opposition parties.
“I asked for this job. I’m in it. Those who will take it from me will try. They will try. All is fair in politics, and it’s equal opportunity,” Tinubu said.
Responding to concerns about the electoral process, the President insisted that INEC had not intimidated any political party or candidate.
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“INEC, you mentioned, is neutral. They’ve never, never intimidated anybody. If political opponents are crying wolves, maybe they are afraid of their own shadows and the uncertainty in the companies they keep, not me,” he stated.
Tinubu said he was fully prepared for the political contest ahead but would not hand any advantage to his opponents.
“I’m ready, but I won’t give them a red carpet. I won’t offer them the leash to tie me and rope me. No, we wrestle each other to the finishing point,” he said.
The 2027 general election is scheduled to begin with the Presidential and National Assembly elections on January 16, 2027.
Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are expected to follow on February 6, 2027.
Tinubu is expected to contest the presidential election as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He is expected to face candidates from several opposition parties, including Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), among others, in what is shaping up to be a keenly contested race for Nigeria’s highest office.
