Lere Olayinka, media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has claimed that the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) is aware that it faces an uphill task in its bid to win the 2027 presidential election.
Olayinka made the assertion on Friday while appearing on Arise TV’s Morning Show, where he questioned the political strength and grassroots structure of the party fielding Peter Obi as its presidential candidate.
According to him, the NDC and its candidates are primarily participating in the election to establish their presence rather than with a realistic expectation of winning.
“Even NDC, the party of Peter Obi, they know they cannot win the election. They are just contesting to try to register their presence,” Olayinka said.
He argued that the party’s alleged inability to field governorship candidates in a number of states was evidence of its limited political structure ahead of the 2027 polls.
Olayinka claimed the NDC has governorship candidates in only 13 states, leaving it without candidates in about 15 others.
He also cited the recent governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun, saying the party did not field candidates in those contests.
“You don’t have a governorship candidate in 15 states. You only have in 13,” he said.
The Wike aide questioned how a political party could effectively compete nationally without candidates and structures capable of mobilising voters and monitoring the electoral process at the grassroots.
“How do you win an election when you don’t have people on ground to canvass votes for you, to manage elections for you?” he asked.
Olayinka further expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) would secure another term in office in the 2027 presidential election.
His comments come amid growing political activity and realignment ahead of the next general elections, with opposition parties seeking to challenge the APC at the federal level.
The assessment of the NDC’s electoral prospects remains Olayinka’s political opinion, and does not by itself establish the party’s chances of victory at the polls.
