“HE KNOWS HE WILL LOSE IN 2027”: Prof. Jibrin Ibrahim Accuses Tinubu of Using Abuse of Power to Crush Opposition After Producing “Massive Misery”

ABUJA, NIGERIA — Renowned political scientist, Senior Fellow at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), and Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria academic, Professor Jibrin Ibrahim, has issued a devastating indictment of Nigeria’s current political trajectory.

In a widely circulated interview on Symfoni TV (under the program Naija Unfiltered), the respected academic did not mince words. He laid bare what he terms a systematic, state-sanctioned plot by the presidency to artificially engineer a clear path to victory in the 2027 general elections by dismantling the country’s multi-party structure.

Professor Ibrahim’s outspokenness serves as a stark reminder of a bygone era in Nigerian academia—recalling when intellectuals were the fiercest guardians of the nation’s democratic conscience rather than passive onlookers.

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The Anatomy of the Indictment: Misery, Fear, and the 2027 Math

At the heart of the Professor’s analysis is a straightforward, blunt assessment of the federal government’s economic performance and its electoral consequences.

               THE ELECTORAL SURVIVAL CALCULATION (PER PROF. IBRAHIM)
┌─────────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ THE CRISIS INPUT                │ THE STRATEGIC OUTPUT                   │
├─────────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ • Unprecedented economic misery │ • Realization that standard democratic │
│   and sky-high inflation.       │   voting will lead to defeat in 2027.  │
│ • Sinking public approval.      │ • Shift to authoritarian mechanisms    │
│ • Massive cost-of-living crisis │   to cripple alternative parties.      │
└─────────────────────────────────┴────────────────────────────────────────┘

Ibrahim argues that the administration is acutely aware of the deep public resentment generated by its aggressive economic reforms, floating currency, and high inflation rates. Knowing that these policies have deeply alienated the electorate, the administration is reportedly pivoting away from trying to win over voters, choosing instead to manipulate the playing field.

“President Tinubu is conscious of the fact that he produced so much misery for Nigerians and Nigerians cannot vote for him in 2027… With the knowledge that he will lose the 2027 election, Tinubu is now recklessly using the abuse of Presidential powers to stop opposition parties from contesting against him.”

— Prof. Jibrin Ibrahim

The “De-registration” Trap: Sabotaging Multi-Party Democracy

A major point of concern raised by political observers and highlighted by the Professor is the suspected use of regulatory institutions—specifically the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)—to execute partisan agendas.

• The Strategy of Fragmentation: Opposition forces, including the Labour Party (LP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), have faced intense internal leadership disputes and legal wrangling. Critics argue these crises are being actively stoked by external state actors to keep the opposition in perpetual disarray.
• The Deregistration Threat: Rumors of moves to systematically “deregister” ebullient opposition parties under technical or legislative guises are viewed by political analysts as a backdoor attempt to force a de facto one-party state. By stripping formidable opposition coalitions of their legal status, the ruling party would effectively eliminate any viable electoral threat before the first ballot is cast.

A Rare Voice in a Quiet Academy

For many Nigerians, Professor Ibrahim’s intervention is a breath of fresh air. In recent years, there has been growing concern that Nigeria’s university professors and academic elite have largely retreated from public advocacy, with some even being co-opted into the machinery of flawed elections as compromised returning officers.

By standing firm and calling out the “reckless abuse of Presidential powers,” Ibrahim has stepped back into the historic role of the academic as a truth-teller. His warning is a clarion call to civil society, legal practitioners, and everyday citizens: if the systematic sabotage of opposition parties is allowed to go unchecked, Nigeria risks sliding completely out of a representative democracy and into a full-blown autocracy.

For those looking to watch the full interview and hear his detailed breakdown of the country’s slide toward autocracy, you can view the Prof. Jibrin Warns: Nigeria Sliding Into Full-Blown Dictatorship broadcast. This video provides the full context of his analysis of the Tinubu administration’s performance and its preparations for the upcoming 2027 elections.

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