Lere Olayinka questions the chances of some contenders, citing weak grassroots structures and past election performances……
Spokesperson to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, Lere Olayinka, has argued that not all presidential candidates preparing for the 2027 election are genuinely seeking victory, with some merely seeking to establish their presence in the political space.
Olayinka made the assertion during a televised interview on Friday, where he assessed the growing field of presidential contenders and their prospects ahead of the 2027 general election.
He said the presence of 19 candidates on the presidential ballot should not be interpreted to mean that every contender has a realistic expectation of winning the election.
“So it is not everybody that contests elections that wants to win. There are people that contest elections just to register their presence. For instance, in this 2027 election, we have 19 presidential candidates.
“Can we say honestly that all the 19 are contesting with the mindset of winning? The answer is no.”
Olayinka pointed to the 2023 presidential election performance of African Action Congress candidate, Omoyele Sowore, to buttress his position.
He noted that Sowore secured 14,600 votes in the last presidential election, questioning how such a candidate could realistically emerge victorious in 2027.
“For instance, the candidate of AAC, Omoyele Sowore, had 14,600 votes in 2023. How would that person win the election next year? They know that they cannot win.
“They are just contesting.”
The FCT minister’s aide also questioned the electoral prospects of the party associated with former Anambra State governor and 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi.
“Even NDC, the party of Peter Obi, they know they cannot win the election. They are just contesting to try to register their presence.”
Olayinka argued that beyond political visibility, a party’s ability to build a strong grassroots network across the country would be crucial to its chances of winning a presidential election.
He cited the party’s limited spread of governorship candidates as an indication of what he described as gaps in its nationwide political structure.
“You don’t have a governorship candidate in 15 states. You only have it in 13. There was an election in Ekiti and Osun recently.
“NDC did not fit candidates. How do you win an election when you don’t have people on ground to canvass votes for you, to manage elections for you?”
According to him, effective participation in a presidential election requires extensive personnel across polling units to mobilise voters, monitor voting and coordinate party operations.
He said Nigeria has 176,846 polling units and that parties would need several representatives at each location to maintain an effective presence on election day.
“In Nigeria today, there are 176,846 polling units. To make good impression on election day, you need at least five people to manage each polling unit for you.
“At least. You need five people. We have done elections before, so we know what it is.
“It is not about making noise.”
