The Chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Senator Dayo Adeyeye, has predicted that President Bola Tinubu will win the 2027 presidential election in all 36 states of the federation.

Mr Adeyeye, who is also the National Chairman of the South-West Agenda for Asiwaju (SWAGA), expressed confidence in Tinubu’s re-election prospects, arguing that the ruling All Progressives Congress has a stronger political structure and grassroots support than opposition parties.

He made the prediction while speaking with journalists in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, on Wednesday.

The former lawmaker said Mr Tinubu’s achievements during his first term and expectations for a second term placed him ahead of other potential contenders.

Economic reforms and state allocations

Mr Adeyeye argued that the Federal Government’s economic reforms had increased the financial resources available to state governments, allowing them to meet obligations such as salaries, pensions and gratuities.

He said the increased allocations had helped several governors perform better than their predecessors.

“I said over three months ago that President Tinubu was likely to win all 36 states, and I am becoming increasingly convinced that it will happen.

“I am absolutely confident and ready to campaign anywhere for Tinubu. I believe he deserves massive support in the 2027 election, and now, I predict that he will win in all the states of the federation,” he said.

He explained that SWAGA was established to strengthen Tinubu’s political support base in the South-West, adding that a strong home base was essential for any presidential candidate seeking nationwide acceptance.

According to him, Mr Tinubu’s political influence has continued to expand beyond the South-West.

Adeyeye defends Tinubu’s policies

The NPA chairman acknowledged the economic difficulties confronting Nigerians but defended the administration’s major economic policies, particularly the removal of petrol subsidy and the unification of the foreign exchange market.

He argued that the reforms had prevented Nigeria from sliding into a deeper economic crisis, noting that the country was already facing dwindling resources, fuel scarcity and the rising cost of maintaining the subsidy regime before Tinubu assumed office in May 2023.

Mr Adeyeye also maintained that although petrol prices had increased, Nigerians now had better access to the product without the prolonged fuel queues and scarcity experienced in previous years.

He added that the foreign exchange reforms had improved transparency, reduced opportunities for arbitrage and strengthened the financial capacity of state governments.

The NPA chairman further cited the Federal Government’s student loan scheme and increased funding for universities as examples of policies aimed at reducing the financial burden on households.

He also commended Mr Tinubu for addressing funding challenges in the university system, arguing that improved remuneration and funding had helped restore industrial peace and end recurrent strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

ADC lacks structure, says Adeyeye

On the opposition, Mr Adeyeye dismissed the African Democratic Congress as a serious threat to the APC, arguing that the party lacked the political structure and grassroots influence required to challenge an incumbent president.

He questioned the ADC’s representation at the state and federal levels, claiming that it had no governor and lacked significant representation in the National Assembly and state assemblies.

“ADC is a party without a governor in any of the 36 states. How many members does it have in the National Assembly? How many state assemblies does it control? You cannot compare a party without a demonstrable political structure with the APC,” he said.

He also questioned the political strength of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the ADC’s presidential candidate, arguing that he lacked sufficient support even in his home state of Adamawa.

Mr Adeyeye noted that the state governor was not backing Mr Atiku’s presidential ambition and questioned how the former vice-president intended to defeat an incumbent president without a strong political base in his home state.

Mr Tinubu won the 2023 presidential election with 8,794,726 votes, ahead of Mr Atiku, who secured 6,984,520 votes, and Labour Party candidate Peter Obi, who polled 6,101,533 votes, according to figures announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The ADC is also facing a leadership dispute ahead of the 2027 elections. On 5 November 2026, the Federal High Court in Abuja nullified the emergence of the David Mark-led national leadership and invalidated decisions taken by the group, including the process that produced Mr Atiku as its presidential candidate.

The party subsequently filed an appeal and sought a stay of execution, asking INEC to suspend further action pending the determination of the appeal.