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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Spokesperson to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, Lere Olayinka, has dismissed the growing number of presidential aspirants ahead of the 2027 general election, arguing that political ambition without grassroots structures and election-day machinery cannot translate into victory.
Olayinka, who spoke on Arise News on Friday, said several politicians entering the presidential race were merely seeking to register their presence and make political impressions rather than mounting realistic campaigns to win the election.
According to him, the real test of any presidential candidate would not be public popularity or political rhetoric, but the capacity to mobilise supporters and deploy personnel across Nigeria’s 176,846 polling units.
“It is not everybody that contests elections that wants to win,” Olayinka said.
“There are people that contest elections just to register their presence. For instance, in this 2027 election, we have 19 presidential candidates. Can we honestly say that all the 19 are contesting with the mindset of winning? The answer is no.”
He cited the performance of the African Action Congress presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, in the 2023 election, arguing that candidates with limited electoral support could not realistically expect to emerge victorious simply by joining the race again.
“For instance, the candidate of AAC, Omoyele Sowore, had 14,600 votes in 2023. How would that person win the election next year? They know that they cannot win. They are just contesting,” he said.
Olayinka also questioned the electoral capacity of the party associated with former Anambra State governor and 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, insisting that the absence of strong structures across the country would undermine its chances in a presidential contest.
“Even NDC, the party of Peter Obi, they know they cannot win the election. They are just contesting to try to register their presence,” he said.
He argued that the failure of a political party to field candidates in several states was evidence of weak grassroots penetration.
“You don’t have a governorship candidate in 15 states. You only have it in 13. There was an election in Ekiti and Osun recently. NDC did not field candidates.
“How do you win an election when you don’t have people on ground to canvass votes for you, to manage elections for you?”
Olayinka stressed that presidential elections required an enormous network of party agents and political operatives at the grassroots, warning that social media popularity and public commentary could not substitute for election-day organisation.
“In Nigeria today, there are 176,846 polling units. To make a good impression on election day, you need at least five people to manage each polling unit for you.
“At least, you need five people. We have done elections before, so we know what it is.
“It is not about making noise.”
