(President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Photo Credit: Premuim Times)
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu could enter the 2027 presidential election with a broader electoral coalition and stronger command of key states than he had in 2023, former presidential campaign spokesman Segun Sowunmi has said.
Sowunmi, speaking on a programme aired on an online news platform, projected that the President could win as many as 22 states, citing fresh political alignments, shifting loyalties and the realignment of regional power blocs as factors likely to reshape the contest in his favour.
According to Sowunmi, Tinubu stands to make significant gains in the South-East, consolidate his dominance in the South-West, deepen his support in the South-South, and register new advances in parts of the North-Central and North-West.
“The president is going to win significantly better numbers in the South-East because those are not places they usually get better numbers before,” he said.
He added that the South-South could potentially deliver even stronger backing for Tinubu than the South-East, depending on how current political developments in the oil-rich region evolve.
Sowunmi also tipped the President for a strong showing in the North-Central and an improved performance in the North-West compared to 2023, pointing to the influence of state governors, political heavyweights and key stakeholders as potentially decisive factors.
He singled out Katsina as a state where the opposition may no longer enjoy the same leverage it did in the last election, noting that certain figures who aided the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in securing the state in 2023 some from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s camp no longer occupy the same strategic positions.
He made similar observations about Kano, saying emerging alliances among major political actors and influential local figures could shift the state’s voting pattern by 2027.
Despite his optimistic outlook, Sowunmi conceded that the President could still face challenges in parts of the North, describing that region as his likely weak spot.
The former PDP governorship candidate nonetheless maintained that Tinubu remains well-positioned heading into the next election cycle and could clinch around 22 states if current trends hold.
He also played down the prospect of a significant upset from other contenders, suggesting the 2027 race may ultimately come down to a straight contest between Tinubu and Atiku.
