Chief Dele Momodu, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has said no political calculation can guarantee President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, arguing that hunger and economic hardship will influence voters’ decisions.

Momodu made the remarks on Thursday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, anchored by Seun Okinbaloye.

He said economic hardship had affected Nigerians across ethnic and regional lines, making it difficult for political parties to overcome public dissatisfaction through financial inducements.

“The common factor now is the hunger in the land. No permutation can beat hunger. The Yorubas are suffering, the Hausas are suffering, the Igbos are suffering, everybody is suffering,” he said.

The Ovation publisher argued that Tinubu’s political influence in Lagos State would not necessarily translate into nationwide support, despite what he described as the President’s reliance on financial resources to secure political backing.

“Tinubu believes he can buy the whole of Nigeria, but my personal belief is that if he could buy the whole of Lagos, I doubt if he can use money to buy the whole of Nigeria,” Momodu stated.

He maintained that voters had become more politically conscious and could accept money offered during campaigns without necessarily voting for those providing it.

Citing the Osun State governorship election, Momodu claimed that voters backed Governor Ademola Adeleke despite what he described as substantial financial inducements.

“And a lot of people will take the money like they took it in Osun State. People’s eyes are wide open now. They brought a lot of money to Osun State, but they still lost the election to Ademola Adeleke,” he said.

Momodu also cited Tinubu’s loss of Lagos State to Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi in the 2023 election, arguing that political influence and financial resources do not guarantee electoral victory.

He further questioned public confidence in Tinubu’s commitment to conducting a credible election, claiming that even some of the President’s supporters doubted his ability to ensure a free and fair poll.

“If you ask an average Nigerian today, do you trust Tinubu to conduct a free and fair election? 90 per cent will say no. Nobody trusts Tinubu, including his own supporters,” Momodu said.

The ADC chieftain also described former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai as a “prisoner of conscience”, alleging that his detention was politically motivated and linked to concerns about his influence ahead of the 2027 elections.

“Nasir El-Rufai is a lion. They caged him because he is a lion. Even when a lion is caged, it is still a lion. They want him locked up until after 2027 because they fear his influence,” he said.

Momodu said El-Rufai’s appointment as Deputy Chairman of the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Council was intended to recognise his sacrifice and resilience.

“It is a way of honouring his sacrifice because his travails are quite political in nature. That is why Nasir has become a prisoner of conscience. He is in the hands of a government that he helped to midwife,” Momodu added.

He maintained that the 2027 presidential election would be a referendum on hunger, economic hardship and governance rather than political calculations.