The All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed optimism that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will secure a second term in 2027.
The APC acknowledged the economic difficulties and the formation of a united front among the major opposition groups; however, it believes that incumbency plays a major role in Tinubu’s return at the next poll.
Raye24reporters reports that the persistent economic challenges stemming from current policies like the removal of fuel subsidy and the devaluation of the naira have led to a significant concern that the Nigerian people might choose to remove Tinubu from office in 2027.
However, the Deputy National Organising Secretary of the governing party, Nze Chidi Duru, during an interview over the weekend mentioned that these reforms were necessary to stabilize the economy, which was currently in a precarious state.
“Our party has always recognised the fact that the current challenging economic environment has not in any way got better. When Mr President took over, he asked Nigerians not to pity him. It is an office that he craved and worked hard for before offering himself to provide leadership to Nigeria.
“What gives confidence is that Mr President is very much aware of the expectations of the person on the street. The minimum expectation will be that they need to be comfortable. So, the discussion around 2027 (election) is not out of place. In the life of a country, four years is like yesterday.
“Let me say every political office holder or politician knows that the first date in office is key because the citizens who elected you into office and those who did not elect you will begin to track your performance as a result of that. They can then decide whether or not to re-elect you.
“Concerning whether we will be re-elected, as a democrat and my personal view, we have always canvassed that unless His Excellency President Bola Tinubu will not contest, the APC government is bound to be represented by our candidate in 2027 to fly the flag for the simple reason that I want to bring up. And, of course, there is the incumbency factor,” the APC chieftain told the PUNCH.