A prominent figure within Nigeria's ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has made a bold prediction about the 2027 presidential election, forecasting an overwhelming victory for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Ikonne Dismisses Opposition, Forecasts Overwhelming Mandate
Prince Paul Ikonne, a party chieftain and former Executive Secretary of the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), asserted that President Tinubu's re-election bid will result in a political wave so powerful it will resemble a "tsunami." He made these remarks on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, during an appearance on TVC's 'This Morning' programme.
Ikonne was directly responding to recent comments from Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who had questioned the legitimacy of Tinubu's 2023 mandate and his prospects for re-election. The APC leader dismissed Abaribe's stance as "political desperation" and a sign of being out of touch with Nigeria's current political climate.
"The President recorded a sweeping victory in 2023, cutting across regions, ethnic groups and political interests," Ikonne stated. He emphasized that this win was validated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and upheld by the courts, making further debate on its legitimacy irrelevant.
APC's Deepening Roots in the South-East
Central to Ikonne's confident prediction is his analysis of the political landscape in the South-East. He accused Senator Abaribe of being disconnected from grassroots politics in Abia State and the wider region, even referencing Abaribe's own electoral loss in 2023 to a younger candidate.
Ikonne claimed that the APC has made historic gains in the region, significantly weakening traditional opposition strongholds. "As we speak, about 90 per cent of the PDP structure in the South-East has collapsed into the APC," he declared. He attributed this shift to the performance of the Tinubu administration and its Renewed Hope Agenda, pointing to federal projects like the rehabilitation of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway and various social investment programs.
Performance, Not a One-Party State
Addressing concerns that Nigeria is drifting towards a one-party system due to defections, Ikonne rejected the notion. He argued that the movement towards the APC is driven by results and a compelling ideology of development, inclusiveness, and youth empowerment.
"This is not about a one-party state; it is about a strong platform delivering results," Ikonne explained. He likened political parties to places of worship, where people gravitate towards value. He concluded that the sustained defections into the APC reflect "the true beauty of democracy" and are a direct response to President Tinubu's governance blueprint, which was first proven in Lagos and is now being expanded nationwide.
Ikonne's final assurance was unequivocal: with people gravitating towards the President, he can guarantee there will be an "Asiwaju tsunami" in the 2027 general elections.
