Governorship aspirant in Oyo State and legal practitioner,Barrister Niyi Aborisade [BANA], has said there is no clear favourite in the race for Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election, insisting that the eventual winner would be determined by the electorate.

 

Aborisade, who spoke during an interview with The Guardian in Ibadan, said although President Bola Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Nigeria Democratic Congress [NDC]’s Peter Obi remain the leading contenders, it was too early to predict who would emerge victorious.

 

According to him, the political environment remains fluid, with the possibility of new alliances and realignments capable of reshaping the contest before the election.

 

He noted that while Tinubu won the 2023 presidential election, past electoral success should not be taken as a guarantee of victory in 2027.

 

“President Tinubu has a chance because he won in 2023, but elections are determined by the people. The current political climate is different, and nobody can say with certainty who will win,” he said.

 

Aborisade said any potential alliance among opposition leaders would also influence the dynamics of the presidential race, stressing that the strength of such coalitions would depend on their ability to attract broad national support.

 

Responding to claims in some quarters that Obi was the candidate to beat in the next election, he dismissed such assertions as speculative.

 

“We have three major contenders—President Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi. In 2023, Tinubu came first, Atiku second and Obi third. While Obi’s supporters believe he won, that remains their opinion.

 

“Politics is like a heavyweight boxing contest. You cannot determine the winner until the fight begins. Each of them has influence, and Nigerians will decide who becomes the next president,” he said.

 

The governorship aspirant stressed that the credibility of the electoral process would ultimately shape the outcome of the election.

 

“Our hope is for a free, fair and credible election where every eligible voter is allowed to vote and every vote counts,” he added.

 

Aborisade also declined to publicly endorse any presidential hopeful, saying he had yet to decide who to support.

 

“I have not declared support for any presidential candidate. When the time comes, I will make my position known,” he said.