2027 polls: For his people-centred policies, Tinubu’s already 70% re-elected – Bankole

…Says ‘it’ll be about Mr. President’s verifiable achievements vs opposition’s noise’

‘…More citizens now understand, appreciate his transformative macro-economic progress’

…Oyo people’ll vote overwhelming for him – Sen. Alli

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Aare (Hon.) Tolu Bankole, has declared that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has already secured his re-election considering his policies which are focused on the welfare of the citizenry.

Bankole, who is also a member of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), made the declaration in an exclusive interview with Blueprint Weekend.

He boasted that President Tinubu would win at least 65 per cent of the total votes in the election, adding that the dynamics had changed since 2023.

Asked to disclose what strategies the party would employ to escape defeat since the president and Peter Obi would be contesting from the South, while only former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar would be running from the North, Bankole said there was no cause for alarm.

He said, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will win at least 65% of the votes in 2027. The dynamics have changed since 2023. More Nigerians today understand and appreciate the transformative macro-economic progress under his leadership. It begins from the infrastructure revolution happening across the country, to the rescue mission in our education sector, to the popular NELFUND that is giving hope to millions of students, and the fact that the food crisis is now largely behind us; the results are speaking for themselves.”

Continuing, he said, “President Tinubu will win the South-west; he will pull massive votes in the South-east. He will win the South and the North. APC will defeat every other candidate on the ballot, including those from the region. When campaigns begin, you will see where the heart of the average Nigerian truly lies. I’m not worried, and I’m not bothered.

“In 2027, it will be about records and Mr. President’s verifiable achievements versus the noise from the opposition.”

When reminded that in the North, many of the APC candidates for governorship and National Assembly positions now use the picture of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate to campaign, the incumbent chairman of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti state, dismissed it as a rumour.

According to him, “That is just a rumour. In the past few months, I have crisscrossed most of the states in the North, and I have not seen anything of the sort.

“In fact, what I have seen is different. Musicians in the North are openly eulogising him, and from what I hear in the streets, the same sentiments are on the lips of the people.

The mood is clear, and it doesn’t match the story being spread.”

APC’s changes

On the chances of the governing party, he said, “APC will win squarely. We will win convincingly; between 65 to 70 per cent of all offices nationwide.”

Also, speaking about the party’s chances in his native Ogun state, where the governorship candidate was said to have emerged by consensus, Aare Bankole said, “The first thing I must correct is this, our candidate did not emerge by consensus. The right word is that Senator Solomon Olamikan, also known as Yayi, received the popular endorsement of the majority of chieftains and members of the APC in the state.”

He added that Yayi was “endorsed by the incumbent governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, the minister from Ogun state, all the senators, members of the House of Representatives, and most of the key stakeholders in the state,” declaring that “their support was clear, open, and overwhelming.”

“However, where a single aspirant insists that he or she is not in support, the Electoral Act provides that a direct primary should be conducted. That was exactly what happened in Ogun state. As a member of the party’s NWC, I was on the queue to cast my vote for him. So, to be clear, he did not emerge by consensus. He won a free, fair, and transparent direct primary election.

“We are united in Ogun state, and we are ready to show again why APC is Ogun, and Ogun state is APC.”

He dismissed the chances of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Chief Ladi Adebutu, is said to be pulling huge support across the state, saying, “There is no fear of any candidate or any party in Ogun state.”

“Let me say it clearly again that Ogun state is APC, and APC is Ogun state. I don’t want to talk about individuals. Let’s talk about our candidate. Senator Solomon Olamikan. Yayi is bigger than the combined weight of more than 30 candidates in other political parties. He is not just a candidate; he is a movement in Ogun state.”

Stressing, he said, “Yayi stands head and shoulders above every other contender today in terms of capacity, track record, empowerment, and direct interventions: in roads, electricity, water, and so many other areas. Name it, and he has touched it. I’m not one to talk too much. I work more. But I can say this with confidence that no team, no collaboration, no combination of candidates can defeat Senator Yayi in Ogun state. I know all the actors closely, and I choose to focus on what matters – our candidate and our people.”

Also, Aare Bankole, who is the national leader for Persons with Disabilities, boasted that,  “We have everything we need to win, and we will win.  We have the track record of achievements by the incumbent. We have the full party structure. And most importantly, we have the support of the good people of Ogun state.

“We are not anxious. We are waiting; waiting for the election, and waiting for the inauguration of Senator Solomon Olamikan as the next governor of Ogun state. For us, it is a done deal.”

Issues arising from the primaries

On what the party is doing to avoid an implosion as a result of the over 700 petitions arising from the primaries nationwide, he said the figure was not correct.

He said, “I am aware that some people have approached the courts to express their displeasure, and that is perfectly acceptable in a democracy. But beyond that, the party is actively reaching out to ensure that every complaint is heard and properly addressed.

At the end of the day, in every contest there can only be one winner. Common sense will prevail, and there will be no implosion. We remain one party, one family, and we will move forward together.”

He also disclosed that the NWC members were already reconciling stakeholders in Anambra state, adding that they were making headway.

“We are making headway already. Most of the key actors attended the first meeting in the FCT, and there was a clear agreement to pursue reconciliation. That’s progress.

Politics, at its heart, is about talking to people, talking for people, and talking with people.

“Anambra is a peculiar case. On one side, you have APC stakeholders who are committed to the party. On the other side, you have a sitting governor from another political party who has openly declared his intention to work for Mr. President, who is of the APC.

“So, it’s important to be clear: APC stakeholders in Anambra are not against the APC. What we are addressing are individual interests within the party. Our goal remains the same; to unite, to reconcile, and to ensure APC stands strong in Anambra,” he said.

He added that, “The good thing is – they are all talking to one another about their differences. And that in itself is a big advantage. In politics, after every election, reconciliation must come first. It’s strategic. You have to bring those who won and those who lost to sit around the same table, listen to each other, and move forward together.

“At the end of the day, APC will come out stronger and better as a more united and formidable political party in Anambra state.”

Oyo’s overwhelming votes for Tinubu

In a related development, the Oyo state governorship candidate of the APC, Senator Sarafadeen Alli, on Friday said the people of the state would vote overwhelmingly for President Tinubu’s re-election.

Senator Alli said this in a statement he personally signed to commend the traditional rulers in the state for visiting President Tinubu to appreciate the on-going federal government’s road projects in the state.

According to the lawmaker, the people of the state’s appreciation to the president would be demonstrated at the ballot in 2027 by delivering overwhelming votes for his re-election.

Commending the state’s traditional rulers for visiting the president to appreciate him for the federal government’s road projects, Alli described it as a “patriotic gesture reflecting unity, responsible leadership and commitment to Oyo state’s sustainable development.”

He charged residents to continue to support the president’s administration, noting that more development projects would come to the state through sustained collaborations and constructive engagements with the federal government.

He commended President Tinubu for prioritising the state through strategic road projects, saying the interventions would boost economic activities, improve connectivity, and enhance residents’ quality of life.

Senator Alli praised the delegation led by Oba Rashidi Ladoja, who doubles as the chairman of the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs for acknowledging President Tinubu’s commitment to delivering critical infrastructure projects across the state.