Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has warned the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu against becoming overconfident ahead of the 2027 presidential election, saying reliance on money alone could cost the ruling party victory.
Primate Ayodele, in a statement by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, said the APC’s perceived confidence could become its major weakness at the polls, predicting that many Nigerians would reject Tinubu if the government failed to address the hardship and insecurity confronting citizens.
He cautioned the ruling party against treating financial resources as a solution to all its political challenges, saying Nigerians were increasingly concerned about their economic and security conditions.
“Overconfidence will kill APC; they will be too overconfident, and that will be the party’s weakness in the election. They will turn Tinubu to a demi-god, but it will make them lose the election. They believe money can do everything, but it will fail in the 2027 election.”
The cleric said the hardship and insecurity being experienced by Nigerians could influence their voting decisions, warning that the APC might underestimate the level of public dissatisfaction at its own peril.
“Common men will kick against the overconfidence because hardship and insecurity have taught them a lesson. They won’t see where they are lacking and believe they can do everything with money, but it will fail.”
Ayodele also warned that the presidential campaign council would not be able to secure Tinubu’s re-election without addressing the issues affecting Nigerians.
He said the President should take immediate steps to ease the economic hardship before the election, arguing that failure to do so could trigger widespread rejection of the APC.
“If President Tinubu thinks the presidential campaign council will change the minds of Nigerians towards him, it’s a pure lie. The people in the committee cannot do anything for the President; there is no individual that can change the minds of Nigerians.
“The people are going through so much hardship, and not solving the problem the administration created before the election will lead to serious rejection for the ruling party. It’s better Tinubu works to resolve it now or face the anger of Nigerians.”
