Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) spokesperson, Segun Sowunmi, has expressed concern that President Bola Tinubu could face allegations of electoral manipulation even if he emerges victorious in the 2027 presidential election.
Sowunmi made the remarks on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday while discussing Tinubu’s chances in the 2027 presidential race.
The PDP chieftain said the major challenge for Nigeria after the election would not necessarily be who wins or loses, but whether political parties and their supporters would accept the outcome.
“I pity him (Tinubu) because after he wins, they’re going to start saying he rigged,” Sowunmi said.
He stressed that voters have the right to determine who governs them and urged political actors to respect the outcome of the election, regardless of whether it favours their preferred candidate.
According to him, rejection of electoral results without sufficient grounds could threaten national stability and create unnecessary tension.
“The biggest challenge for the stability of this country going forward is not so much who will win or who will lose, but how they will accept outcomes,” he said.
Sowunmi noted that an election could produce a result contrary to a candidate’s expectations, adding that such an outcome should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of wrongdoing.
“Because if you do an election and people can vote for you, they can vote for your rival,” he said.
He further warned that persistent rejection of an election result could turn the winner into the target of accusations and agitation, despite having secured the votes of the electorate.
“And if they do happen to vote for your rival and he wins, if you insist that all you are going to be doing is screaming up and down and instigating the society, how does the winner become the victim of the votes people gave him?” he asked.
Sowunmi urged political parties and their supporters to put Nigeria’s stability ahead of partisan interests, stressing that legitimate legal channels remain available to candidates who believe an election has been compromised.
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