A chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Buba Galadima, has said only God and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu know what will happen in the 2027 presidential election.
Galadima made the statement on Thursday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
At the TV outing, Galadima discussed the NDC’s presidential ticket of Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and the opposition party’s prospects ahead of the 2027 poll.
“Only God and Tinubu knows what will happen in this election,” Galadima said.
He made the comment while alleging that opposition politicians had been subjected to coordinated attacks, although he expressed confidence in the ability of Obi and Kwankwaso to secure victory if the election is conducted freely and fairly.
“Peter Obi and Kwankwaso will win this election if it is free, fair, and credible unless there is someone with a machinery willing to take it away from them,” he said.
Galadima also dismissed suggestions that disagreements among leading members of the NDC could weaken the party or its presidential ticket.
According to him, Obi and Kwankwaso remain close and are working together despite concerns raised in some quarters about the relationship between the two politicians.
“They are on the same page, they are close to each other, every minute, every hour, everyday and every hour of the calendar,” he said.
The NDC chieftain was also asked about the party’s prospects in the North, particularly against the background of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s opposition politics and the debate over which political platform can attract voters across the different regions.
Galadima said the NDC was not presenting separate regional interests but a single ticket featuring two experienced Nigerian politicians.
“We are running a single ticket of prominent, experienced Nigerians; this is our game,” he said.
He described the Obi-Kwankwaso combination as a “healing ticket”, arguing that the political backgrounds and support bases of the two candidates could complement one another.
“Obi and Kwankwaso complement each other in every move. We are running a single ticket; that is why we call this ticket a healing ticket,” Galadima said.
The NDC chieftain also turned to the renewed debate over petrol prices and government intervention in the petroleum sector.
He questioned politicians who have promised to restore fuel subsidy, saying voters should examine their previous positions and records before accepting such promises.
“If someone tells you I will restore subsidy, will you just believe him without looking at his background?” Galadima asked.
He also criticised the Tinubu administration over what he described as continued government spending linked to fuel support, asking the President to explain what he referred to as “Energy Security Expenses.”
“Obi and Kwakwanso are populist politicians who are for the people; Tinubu put us in this trouble. Do you know that, as at now even the president pays subsidies called Energy security expenses, you should call him to explain what it means….all these are fraud,” he said.
The remarks come amid an intensifying debate among opposition politicians over the future of petrol pricing and whether government intervention should be used to reduce the cost of fuel.
Kwankwaso, who is the NDC’s vice-presidential candidate, recently said the party would consider government intervention through measures such as investment in domestic refineries and other steps aimed at reducing the cost of petrol.
Speaking in an interview with Arise TV, the former Kano State governor rejected the suggestion that the NDC had no position on the subsidy debate.
“No, no, no, look. We are bringing subsidy in our own way,” Kwankwaso said.
He argued that increased domestic refining capacity could help bring down the price of petrol and said the government could invest in refineries where necessary.
“Of course, there are many ways. One, I can tell you: now we have a refinery built by a businessman, and I’m sure more refineries would be built.
“Now, if individuals in this country could build refineries, I see no reason why government, under certain circumstances, will not build a refinery or refineries to the extent that we achieve the minimum requirement,” he said.
Kwankwaso said the objective should be to ensure that Nigerians can purchase petrol at a reasonable price.
“What is the minimum requirement? The minimum requirement is for the people across the country to go to the filling stations and buy fuel at a reasonable price.
“We, in the NDC, will do whatever it takes, really, to put the price of oil down,” he added.
The position has emerged amid a separate proposal by Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), for a targeted production subsidy on petroleum products refined in Nigeria.
Atiku has argued that government support should be directed towards domestic refining rather than imported fuel. He has also proposed measures including spending limits, legislative approval, transparency and independent auditing.
The former vice-president has maintained that his proposal differs from the former import-based subsidy arrangement and is intended to support domestic refiners while reducing the cost of petroleum products.
Kwankwaso has also criticised the manner in which Tinubu removed the petrol subsidy after taking office in 2023.
Tinubu announced the removal during his inauguration on May 29, 2023, declaring that “subsidy is gone.”