David Hundeyin Questions Tinubu’s 2027 Prospects, Criticises Peter Obi’s Opposition Strategy

Nigerian investigative journalist, David Hundeyin has offered a blunt assessment of the country’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections, questioning President Bola Tinubu’s prospects while also expressing doubts about Peter Obi’s strategy for returning to the presidential contest.

Hundeyin made the remarks during an online interview while discussing Nigeria’s political establishment, the 2027 election and the opposition’s preparedness to challenge the ruling government.

According to him, there are rumours that Tinubu could potentially be backing former President Goodluck Jonathan for a United Nations position, although he did not provide evidence to substantiate the claim.

Turning to the 2027 presidential election, Hundeyin argued that electoral victory in Nigeria cannot always be equated with securing the highest number of votes, insisting that the political establishment ultimately determines who is declared winner.

He said:

“Rumours are that Tinubu is potentially backing Jonathan for a UN job Tinubu won his re-election the minute he allowed Donald Trump set up a military base in Nigeria. He is not going to win the election in 2027 but he will announce himself winner and be sworn-in. There is a difference between winning the ballot and winning the election. In a place like Nigeria, winning the votes is different from being declared winner. He didn’t win in 2023, Peter Obi won and that is audible to the deaf and visible to the blind, it didn’t make him President.

“So there is a difference between winning the ballot and winning the election. Election is determined by the ruling establishment which is determined by US foreign policy and all that.”

The comments then shifted to the prospects of the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, with Hundeyin expressing strong scepticism about his chances in 2027.

Asked whether he saw any possibility of Obi winning the presidency, Hundeyin said he did not, arguing that Obi appeared to be repeating the same campaign approach used in 2023 without presenting a clear strategy for overcoming the challenges that followed that election.

He particularly questioned what he described as Obi’s failure to explain how his political movement would prevent a repeat of the events surrounding the 2023 election.

Hundeyin said:

“I don’t see it. Peter Obi strikes me as a paid opposition because he’s repeating the 2023 campaign thing all over again. Saying he has integrity and all that, it has become boring and hackneyed.

“We know you have integrity and have brilliant ideas of governance but the question is how do you intend to get into office? What are the plans for you to prevent what happened in February 2023 from happening again? He has no plans for that. All we get are platitudes of “come out and defend your votes, “Nigerians will decide” and all that, all vague. If you want to say something, come out and say it. If you want to say to Nigerians that this Government will rig this election so violently come out and resist them, defend your mandate. if you want to put it like that, say it.”

The journalist further criticised what he described as continued focus on controversies surrounding Tinubu rather than concrete plans for challenging the political system.

He argued that repeatedly revisiting allegations and controversies from the 2023 election would not, by itself, alter the political outcome in 2027.

Hundeyin added:

“What you still see are vague postings and bla bla bla bla, and you are still litigating what you did three years ago, stuffs like Tinubu’s drug case. Everybody and their dog know Tinubu is a drug dealer, and so what? It didn’t stop him from becoming President, we know. The man is a career criminal and he is not hiding it. He submitted forged certificates to the Electoral Commission and yes, we all know. So what are you going to do about it and you are here speaking a whole bunch of English. I am sorry, I’m not interested.“

Hundeyin’s remarks have added another layer to the increasingly intense debate over Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election, particularly around the ability of opposition forces to translate public support into actual electoral power.

His comments also underscore a broader argument within Nigeria’s opposition politics: that winning votes may not be sufficient without a clearly defined strategy for protecting those votes and navigating the institutions responsible for conducting, validating and declaring election results.