“Wait for 2027 to test your popularity” – Presidency fires back at Peter Obi, Atiku, El-Rufai

The presidency has urged opposition figures seeking to gauge their popularity to hold off until the 2027 general election.

In a late-night post on X yesterday, February 1, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, urged the opposition leaders to wait for the upcoming elections to challenge the government’s leadership.

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Tinubu’s administration have been at the centre of accusations, particularly after former Vice President Atiku Abubakar alleged that Tinubu paid N50 million to certain opposition members to destabilize the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The APC has firmly denied these claims.

Ex-Kaduna Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai added to the controversy, describing the current state of governance and opposition as a “national emergency” during a recent national conference in Abuja, calling for opposition parties to unite against the ruling party.

However, Dare respondedm saying, “While President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was seeking solutions to Nigeria’s energy problems in Tanzania, some ‘wannabes’ were heating up the polity.”

He added that the opposition’s actions have done little but follow a predictable script and urged Nigerians to differentiate between political hecklers and genuine progressives.

He concluded, “President Tinubu remains undistracted and unperturbed. The fight is ahead. Not now. The only conversation he wants to have now is how to improve the lives of Nigerian citizens and build a resilient economy.”