A Senior Special Assistant to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, has described some presidential candidates in the 2027 general election as content creators, arguing that many lack the political structures and electoral strength to challenge President Bola Tinubu.
Olayinka said the growing number of presidential aspirants did not necessarily indicate a competitive race, alleging that some candidates were more interested in gaining public attention and establishing their presence on the ballot than winning the election.
He made the remarks on Thursday while appearing on TVC’s flagship political programme, Beyond The Headlines.
Olayinka, who also serves as a spokesperson for the Directorate of Media and Strategic Communications of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Tinubu Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), questioned the preparedness of opposition parties ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
He specifically criticised former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and human rights activist Omoyele Sowore, who are associated with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and African Action Congress (AAC), respectively.
Assessing Atiku’s repeated attempts to become president, Olayinka described the former vice-president’s longstanding ambition as evidence of an unrelenting pursuit of the office.
“Someone who started contesting for president since 1993… this is his eighth time. Anytime the whistle is blown, if today they say there should be election of president every month, Atiku would be contesting every month,” he said.
He also accused Atiku of inconsistency on fuel subsidy, recalling his reported description of the policy as fraudulent in 2022 and alleging that he subsequently advocated its restoration.
Turning to Obi, Olayinka described the former governor as a “content creator”, accusing him of inconsistency in his political positions.
“Peter Obi is more like a content creator — he says something today, he says another thing tomorrow,” he said.
Olayinka also questioned Obi’s ability to manage political organisations, citing his departures from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party amid internal disagreements.
“Someone who has not been able to manage an ordinary political party… does that mean if he becomes president and there is a problem in Nigeria, he will run and go to Cameroon?” he asked.
The APC spokesperson also criticised Sowore’s presidential ambition, citing the AAC candidate’s performance in the 2023 general election.
He referred to the 14,600 votes Sowore reportedly secured in the election, arguing that the figure raised questions about his capacity to defeat Tinubu in 2027.
“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,” Olayinka said.
He maintained that not all presidential candidates entered elections with the intention of winning, suggesting that some participated primarily to gain visibility and establish their political relevance.
“It is not everybody that contests elections that wants to win. There are people that contest elections just to register their presence,” he said.
Olayinka also questioned the grassroots capacity of the NDC, arguing that presidential candidates needed strong nationwide structures, adequate personnel and effective mobilisation networks to compete successfully.
According to him, electoral success depends not only on public visibility and social media popularity but also on the ability to mobilise voters and protect votes across polling units nationwide.
No Confusion Over Rainbow Coalition
On political alliances ahead of the 2027 election, Olayinka dismissed concerns about reported disagreements among stakeholders, insisting that the APC was building strategic partnerships to strengthen Tinubu’s re-election bid.
He cited cooperation between the APC and the Accord Party in Osun State as an example of the alliances being developed to improve the ruling party’s electoral prospects.
“APC in Osun State and Accord Party are working together. It is a coalition. They are working to deliver votes to the president,” he said.
Olayinka expressed confidence that the APC’s alliance-building efforts, combined with its grassroots mobilisation, would give Tinubu an advantage over opposition candidates.
He argued that the opposition had yet to present a coherent alternative to the Tinubu administration, accusing some of its members of relying on public sentiments and social media trends rather than demonstrable achievements.
To support his position, Olayinka pointed to road construction, urban renewal and other infrastructure projects in the FCT under Wike, describing them as evidence of the administration’s commitment to development.
He maintained that the APC’s performance and expanding political alliances would strengthen its position as the 2027 general election approaches.
