Abia South Senator and former Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, has launched a blistering attack on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, declaring that the president will not secure re-election in 2027 and insisting that he did not legitimately win the 2023 presidential election.

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Speaking during a political engagement with supporters in Aba on Monday, Abaribe argued that the 2023 presidential poll lacked the credibility required to confer a genuine mandate on the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate. According to him, the outcome of that election reflected “institutional failure and elite manipulation” rather than the will of Nigerians.

“Tinubu never won the 2023 election in the real sense of it. Nigerians know this. What we have is a government imposed by compromised institutions, not one chosen freely by the people,” Abaribe said.

The senator, a leading figure in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said widespread economic hardship, rising insecurity and what he described as “policy confusion” under the Tinubu administration have alienated millions of voters across the country.

He cited soaring inflation, the weakening naira, unemployment and fuel price hikes as clear indicators that the government has lost popular support.

“By 2027, Nigerians will not be deceived again. This government has shown its capacity, and people are suffering. There is no pathway for Tinubu to win another election,” he added.

Abaribe also faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), saying unresolved questions surrounding electronic transmission of results and polling-unit transparency from the 2023 elections continue to undermine public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process.

While acknowledging opposition setbacks since the last general election, the Abia lawmaker maintained that opposition parties are regrouping and will present a united front in 2027.

“The opposition is learning from its mistakes. Nigerians are angry, and anger fuels political change,” he said.

The APC has repeatedly dismissed claims that Tinubu’s victory was illegitimate, insisting that the president won the election fairly and that the courts affirmed the outcome. Presidential aides have often described opposition criticisms as “sour grapes” and a strategy to remain politically relevant.

As political rhetoric intensifies ahead of 2027, Abaribe’s comments are expected to further deepen partisan tensions, signalling that the next electoral cycle may begin much earlier — and be far more confrontational — than previous ones.