Former Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, has said President Bola Tinubu is “working very hard” to lose the 2027 presidential election, warning that worsening economic hardship and insecurity could erode the administration’s chances of securing a second term.
Dalung, who served under the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, made the remarks in a post on his X account on Tuesday.
According to the former minister, incumbent governments often lose elections not because the opposition becomes stronger, but because they become disconnected from the people they govern.
He argued that any administration seeking re-election must continually earn the confidence of citizens through policies that ease economic hardship, improve security, and fulfil campaign promises.
Dalung noted that millions of Nigerians are grappling with rising living costs, unemployment, and insecurity, warning that these realities could significantly influence voters ahead of the 2027 general election.
He maintained that “every painful experience creates another silent voter” and “every broken promise recruits another silent opposition member,” stressing that elections effectively begin long before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) releases an election timetable.
The former minister further argued that hunger, economic hardship, and hopelessness are more powerful political forces than campaign rhetoric, saying no speech can outweigh the daily realities faced by ordinary Nigerians.
He also cautioned the Tinubu administration against mistaking political defections and endorsements for genuine public support, insisting that Nigerians would ultimately judge the government by its impact on their everyday lives.
Dalung advised the administration to focus less on political realignments and more on tackling the country’s economic and security challenges if it hopes to secure another mandate in 2027.
“When I say President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is working very hard to lose the 2027 election, I am not making a political wish. I am making a political assessment.
“Incumbents do not lose elections because the opposition suddenly becomes stronger. They lose because they gradually become disconnected from the people they govern.
“Every government seeking another mandate must continually deposit political goodwill into the emotional account of the electorate. Every policy that eases hardship is a deposit. Every life secured is a deposit. Every promise kept is a deposit. Every act of compassion is a deposit.
“But what happens when, day after day, the withdrawals become greater than the deposits?
“Today, millions of Nigerians are not asking for luxury; they are asking for survival.”
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