Tinubu Sends Strong Message To Obi, Atiku Ahead Of 2027 Presidential Election
President Bola Tinubu has declared that he is ready to face a tough political contest ahead of the 2027 presidential election, saying he will not step aside for anyone seeking to remove him from office.
The President made the remarks while receiving members of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
His comments come as political activities continue to build, with Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar expected to be among his main opponents in the race.
Speaking during the meeting, Tinubu said politics is a contest in which every candidate has the right to seek victory, but he would also defend his position until the end.
He maintained that he would fully participate in the political process and would not make the path easy for those hoping to replace him.
The President also defended the Independent National Electoral Commission, saying the electoral body had remained neutral.
He dismissed claims that INEC was working in favour of any political party, insisting that those making such allegations were reacting to their own political fears rather than facts.
Tinubu used the meeting to speak about his administration’s performance after more than three years in office.
He said some of the reforms introduced by his government were beginning to produce results that Nigerians could see in their daily lives.
According to him, one of the major achievements has been the stability in public universities, noting that students are now completing their academic programmes without repeated interruptions caused by industrial actions.
He said the absence of prolonged strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Universities has brought relief to many families whose children attend public universities.
Tinubu described the uninterrupted academic calendar as good news for parents and students across the country.
For many years, ASUU organised several nationwide strikes that kept students out of classrooms for long periods.
Between 1999 and 2022, public universities experienced years of lost academic time because of industrial disputes, with the nine-month strike in 2022 becoming one of the longest in the union’s history.
Tinubu said no lengthy ASUU strike has taken place since he assumed office in May 2023.
He also pointed to the introduction of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund as one of the efforts made by his administration to support students.
On the economy, the President admitted that he inherited both achievements and challenges from the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
However, he said his government had worked to bring stability and expressed confidence that the country’s economic condition would continue to improve.
He stated that he accepted the responsibility of leading the country and remained committed to making difficult decisions that he believes are necessary for Nigeria’s future.
