Dare Babalola
A former presidential aide, Lauretta Onochie, has stirred fresh political debate after claiming that President Bola Tinubu is not interested in seeking re-election in 2027.
In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, Onochie challenged what she described as widespread assumptions about the President’s political intentions, insisting that no verifiable evidence exists to suggest he has declared a second-term ambition.
“Nigerians must know the truth. If there’s any evidence where @officialABAT has spoken about 2027, please I want to see it. Tinubu is not interested in running for a second term,” she wrote.
Her comments come amid increasing political manoeuvring and speculation ahead of the 2027 general elections in Nigeria, with various camps already positioning themselves for potential alliances and contests.
Onochie, however, went further to allege that certain unnamed political actors are engaging in intimidation tactics driven by fears of political irrelevance.
“His criminal goons, fearful of being out of relevance, go about, harassing current/past governors, and opposition leaders to either join their unholy alliance or suspend political participation till after 2027 elections,” she alleged.
The former aide also accused these individuals of acting out of desperation, claiming they are already preparing for defeat even before the election cycle fully begins.
“These same people who know, for a fact that they have lost the 2027 general elections, have already prepared their homes in exile. So they have adopted the doctrine of lawlessness, intimidation and impunity. Cowards,” she added.
Onochie did not provide specific names or evidence to substantiate the allegations, but her remarks are likely to deepen political tensions and fuel further debate over the trajectory of the current administration and the evolving dynamics ahead of 2027.
As of the time of filing this report, there has been no official response from the presidency or associates of President Tinubu regarding the claims.
