President Bola Tinubu has warned his political opponents to expect a tough fight in the 2027 general elections, saying he is ready to battle them through to the end in his bid for re-election.
Tinubu spoke on Tuesday when he received a delegation from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) at the State House. The delegation was led by CBCN president Matthew Ndagoso.
“I’m ready, but I won’t give them a red carpet. I won’t offer them the leash to tie me and rope me. No, we wrestle each other to the finishing point,” Mr Tinubu said.
The president admitted that the contest would be fierce but insisted it would be fair, with every candidate given an equal chance to compete for the presidency.
“I asked for this job. I’m in it. Those who will take it from me will try. They will try. All is fair in politics, and it’s equal opportunity,” he said.
Tinubu also defended the integrity of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), saying the electoral body does not intimidate candidates.
The appointment of APC-linked Joash Amupitan as INEC chairman had drawn strong criticism, with opposition parties and candidates calling for his resignation and questioning the credibility of the polls.
However, Tinubu stood by INEC, saying the commission remains neutral as required by the constitution.
He said the candidates were only worried because of distrust within their political camps.
“INEC, you mentioned, is neutral. They’ve never, never intimidated anybody. If political opponents are crying wolves, maybe they are afraid of their own shadows and the uncertainty in the companies they keep, not me.”
