‘Not all 19 presidential candidates are contesting to win in 2027’- Wike’s aide

The Senior Special Assistant to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, has claimed that not all presidential candidates contesting the 2027 election are doing so with the expectation of winning.

Olayinka made the statement during an interview on Arise News while discussing the growing number of contenders ahead of the 2027 general election.

According to him, having 19 presidential candidates on the ballot does not mean all of them are serious contenders for victory.

“So it is not everybody that contests elections that wants to win. There are people that contest elections just to register their presence,” he said.

The Wike aide specifically questioned the chances of the African Action Congress (AAC) candidate, Omoyele Sowore, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), the party linked with former Anambra State governor Peter Obi.

He said Sowore’s performance in the 2023 presidential election showed that victory was unlikely.

“For instance, the candidate of AAC, Omoyele Sowore, had 14,600 votes in 2023. How would that person win the election next year? They know that they cannot win. They are just contesting,” Olayinka said.

Speaking on NDC, he argued that the party lacked the nationwide structure required to win a presidential election, citing its limited number of governorship candidates and grassroots presence.

“Even NDC, the party of Peter Obi, they know they cannot win the election. They are just contesting to try to register their presence,” he added.

Olayinka said presidential elections require strong political structures across the country, including sufficient party agents and mobilisers at polling units.

He argued that parties without adequate grassroots networks would struggle to compete effectively during election day operations.