ADC cannot stop Tinubu, APC will win all 36 states — Adeyeye

By Rotimi Ojomoyela ADO-EKITI — The Chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Senator Dayo Adeyeye, has dismissed the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a serious threat to President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, predicting that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will win all 36 states. Adeyeye, who is also the National Chairman of the South-West Agenda for Asiwaju (SWAGA), said the ADC lacked the political structure, grassroots influence and electoral strength to challenge the ruling party.

He also questioned the political strength of the ADC’s presidential candidate, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, alleging that he lacked sufficient support even in his home state of Adamawa. Adeyeye spoke with journalists in Ado-Ekiti on Wednesday while assessing the political landscape ahead of the 2027 general election. He dismissed suggestions that the APC was apprehensive about the opposition, describing such claims as unfounded.

According to him, the ADC has yet to demonstrate sufficient political strength at the state and National Assembly levels to pose a credible challenge to the ruling party. “How can the APC be afraid of anything with the political atmosphere we have now? I said over three months ago that President Tinubu was likely to win all the 36 states, and I am becoming increasingly convinced that it will happen.

“ADC is a party without a governor in any of the 36 states. How many members does it have in the National Assembly? How many state assemblies does it control? You cannot compare a party without a demonstrable political structure with the APC,” he said. The former senator argued that Atiku’s presidential ambition was further weakened by what he described as inadequate political backing in Adamawa State.

He alleged that neither the state governor nor prominent political figures in Adamawa had demonstrated substantial support for the former vice-president. “Atiku is from Adamawa, but the governor of his state is not supporting him. The legislature in the state has not witnessed any significant movement to the ADC. How do you intend to challenge and defeat an incumbent president when you cannot establish a formidable political base in your own state?” he asked.

Adeyeye said SWAGA was established to consolidate Tinubu’s political base in the South-West, stressing that strong support at home was essential for any presidential candidate seeking national acceptance. He maintained that Tinubu had built a formidable political foundation across the South-West, adding that the president’s support base had continued to expand beyond the region.

On the economy, Adeyeye acknowledged the hardship facing Nigerians but argued that the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of the foreign exchange market had prevented the country from sliding into a deeper economic crisis. He said Nigeria was already in an unsustainable fiscal situation before Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, citing dwindling government revenue, fuel scarcity and the rising cost of financing the subsidy regime.

Recalling the period of prolonged fuel queues and the activities of black market operators, Adeyeye said that although petrol prices had increased, Nigerians now had better access to the product without the prolonged scarcity experienced in previous years. He also argued that the foreign exchange reforms had improved transparency in the market and reduced opportunities for arbitrage by politically connected individuals.

According to him, the reforms have strengthened the financial capacity of state governments to meet their obligations, particularly the payment of salaries, pensions and gratuities. The NPA chairman also cited the Federal Government’s student loan scheme and increased funding for universities as evidence of the administration’s efforts to ease household financial pressures and improve education.

Drawing from his experience as a former Pro-Chancellor of Ekiti State University, Adeyeye commended Tinubu for addressing some longstanding funding challenges in the university system. He said improved remuneration and funding had helped restore industrial peace in the sector. He noted that Nigerian students had suffered years of academic disruptions caused by recurrent strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), adding that sustained stability in the university system was critical to the country’s future.

Adeyeye expressed confidence in Tinubu’s re-election prospects, saying he was prepared to campaign across the country to secure another mandate for the president. “I am absolutely confident and ready to campaign anywhere for Tinubu. I believe he deserves massive support in the 2027 election, and I predict that he will win in all the states of the federation,” he said.

On whether the performance of APC governors could affect the president’s electoral fortunes, Adeyeye said he was not in a position to assess the performance of governors across the country. He, however, expressed the view