The Deputy National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ali Bukar Dalori, has declared that President Bola Tinubu will defeat former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in Adamawa State and other parts of the North-East during the 2027 presidential election.
Dalori said Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), would struggle to secure votes in his home state despite expectations that the former vice president would enjoy strong support in the region.
The APC chieftain made the prediction while speaking at an event in Abuja on Wednesday.
According to Dalori, his prediction is based on his experience as a grassroots politician and his understanding of the political dynamics in the region.
He dismissed suggestions that Atiku was gaining significant support in the North-East and could defeat Tinubu by a wide margin in the 2027 presidential election.
The North-East comprises Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe states.
Dalori insisted that the ruling party had a strong grassroots political structure capable of helping Tinubu secure victory, even in areas traditionally regarded as Atiku’s political strongholds.
“I don’t think that Atiku can disrupt the North-East. Why? Even Adamawa, his hometown, he will not win, even at his polling unit. I will assure you of that,” he said.
The statement comes as political parties and their candidates intensify preparations for the January 16, 2027, presidential election, in which Tinubu is seeking another term in office.
Atiku, a former vice president and longtime presidential contender, is among the opposition figures seeking to unseat the incumbent president. Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress and other candidates are also expected to challenge Tinubu in the election.
Meanwhile, the ADC Presidential Campaign Council has insisted that Atiku is prepared to campaign across all 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory ahead of the election.
The opposition campaign council made the declaration earlier in October while criticising reports that Tinubu might not campaign across all states during the presidential campaign.
The council described the reported position as an act of arrogance and an insult to Nigerians, arguing that a president seeking re-election should be prepared to meet voters, explain his administration’s record and present his plans for another term.
Director of Media and Publicity of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Kola Ologbondiyan, stated the position while receiving a delegation of youths under the aegis of Young Voters for Atiku.
Ologbondiyan maintained that Atiku was ready to travel across the country to engage Nigerians and explain how he intended to address the country’s economic and security challenges.
He criticised Tinubu over the reported reluctance to visit all parts of the country during the campaign, arguing that presidential candidates should be willing to face the electorate.
“What President Tinubu has done is a clear act of contempt against the Nigerian people. The APC is known for its contempt for Nigerians. How can a man who wants to be re-elected as president, after failing woefully, say he does not want to visit the people he seeks to govern? It is an aberration of norm,” Ologbondiyan said.
The ADC spokesman also dismissed suggestions that official responsibilities could prevent Tinubu from campaigning nationwide.
He cited former Nigerian presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari, as well as former United States presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, as examples of political figures who participated in campaigns while pursuing or seeking to retain political office.
“Saying that he (Tinubu) will be attending to official assignments is untrue, fake, deceitful and insincere. Didn’t former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari attend to official duties while campaigning for their return tickets? Didn’t Donald Trump campaign? Didn’t Kamala Harris campaign? Why is Tinubu’s case different?” he queried.
Ologbondiyan further argued that Atiku’s willingness to travel across the country could provide the ADC with an opportunity to connect with voters and present its alternative to the ruling party.
He described the former vice president as physically energetic, mentally alert and prepared to engage Nigerians during the campaign.