Former Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose has declared that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu currently stands unchallenged ahead of the 2027 presidential election, arguing that a fragmented opposition has effectively cleared the path for his re-election.

Speaking on a national television programme, Fayose said the loud criticism of Tinubu on social media does not translate into a coherent political threat at the polls. According to him, opposition parties have squandered any real chance of unseating the president by failing to forge a united front.

“Nobody is contesting against Tinubu. There is a difference between reality and noise on social media,” Fayose said, insisting that the president’s main advantage lies not in overwhelming popularity but in the disarray of his rivals.

He argued that a single, broad-based coalition could have posed a serious challenge. “If the opposition coalition had remained together and were to be in one party against Tinubu, I would say Tinubu would get a run for his money,” he noted, lamenting the proliferation of parties and presidential hopefuls.

Fayose pointed to the multiplication of platforms such as the New Nigeria Peoples Party and other smaller parties as evidence that opposition leaders have “destroyed their journey by themselves,” after previously accusing Tinubu of seeking a one-party state.

Drawing a parallel with the 2023 presidential election, he recalled how the split between Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi turned the contest into a three-horse race that ultimately favoured Tinubu. “You remember that when Atiku and Obi contested, it was a major three-horse race and Tinubu had his way, and I’m telling you again, Tinubu will have his way with ease,” he said.

On governance, Fayose defended Tinubu’s handling of security and the economy, despite widespread public anger over hardship and rising living costs. He argued that the president inherited a deeply troubled system and is now being unfairly targeted as the 2027 race approaches.

“President Tinubu may not be a perfect person, but he has given his best. Things were worse at the end of Buhari’s administration,” Fayose maintained, adding that Tinubu “managed the damage done by the last administration” and is now being blackmailed through the narrative of insecurity, much like former president Goodluck Jonathan was at the end of his tenure.