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The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Navy, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, on Tuesday declared that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi have not shown the political capacity or organisation required to defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Gagdi said the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) remains far ahead of the opposition in political mobilisation, insisting that he had seen nothing to suggest that either Atiku or Obi was preparing effectively to unseat the President.
“I have never, in my political imagination, thought that my party APC will lose election,” he said.
According to him, “What are the opposition doing? What are the opposition planning or doing? I have not seen, with the activities of opposition, those you mentioned, Peter Obi or Atiku, I have not seen any effort being put in place by them to unseat or defeat the President come 2027. I would say this any day, anytime.”
Gagdi argued that the APC had maintained sustained political activities across the country, unlike opposition parties.
“You have seen APC’s activities in the last one year across Nigeria, in the four angles of Nigeria where our political activities is ten times the political activities of any opposition political party in Nigeria,” he said.
“So who is supposed to talk to another person about planning to win election?”
The Plateau lawmaker dismissed suggestions that only opposition politicians were strategising ahead of the next general election.
“You think Bola Tinubu and the APC are not trying to win elections in 2027? Atiku and Obi have always been defeated,” he stated.
Recalling his electoral experience, Gagdi said Obi failed to make significant electoral inroads in his constituency during previous elections.
“Peter Obi, I was in the state assembly in 2015, I was in the National Assembly from 2019 to 2023. I will talk about what I know. He did not win election in Pankshin, Kanke and Kanam.”
He added, “I won election in 2023 under APC with a margin of 31,000 votes. I am not bragging, I am talking to you about facts.”
Gagdi maintained that political parties naturally prepare for elections, saying it would be wrong to suggest that only opposition politicians were planning for 2027.
“If you think they are planning, what makes you think that the APC is not planning to win elections? Are we sleeping? What planning are they doing?” he asked.
The lawmaker also accused some opposition figures of exploiting the country’s security challenges for political advantage instead of offering practical solutions.
“From the tune of some people that are supposed to be leaders of this country when they are talking about what Nigerians are passing through, you will see it from them that they seem to appreciate the situation Nigeria is going through.”
“Instead of lamenting and proffering solutions, you lament and tie it to the fact that government is defective in solving that problem just to achieve some political gain.”