The Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lere Olayinka, has dismissed claims that the opposition poses a serious threat to President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
Olayinka, who is also a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) media team, said growing support for Tinubu across political parties within the Rainbow Coalition signalled increasing confidence in the President’s leadership.
Speaking on Monday during a live broadcast on AIT’s political program, Democracy Today, anchored by Terverr Tyav, he defended FCT Minister Nyesom Wike’s political engagements across the country, saying supporters of the administration were building grassroots structures ahead of the 2027 general election.
He argued that political contests were won through visibility, effective mobilisation and a strong grassroots presence, not social media campaigns.
Olayinka challenged opposition figures to demonstrate their political strength beyond online activities, stressing that physical engagement with voters remained critical to electoral success.
“In this election cycle, I am only seeing one person contesting. I’m not seeing other people,” Olayinka said.
He cited the minister’s engagements across Rivers State and the FCT’s six area councils, including Bwari, Kuje, Gwagwalada, Kwali and Abaji, as evidence of the coalition’s grassroots mobilisation.
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Defending the Rainbow Coalition, he said the alliance had brought together politicians and supporters from different political parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Accord Party, in support of Tinubu’s re-election.
“For the first time in the history of this country, people from other parties are openly saying this President has done so well,” he said.
He added that the coalition was built around a common political objective, insisting that cooperation among different parties in support of the President should not be mistaken for a merger.
“There is a coalition; there is cooperation concerning the election of the President. That is the point of agreement, and nobody is disputing that,” he said.
The FCT minister’s aide also maintained that electoral victories in Nigeria depended largely on grassroots structures and effective election-day mobilisation rather than social media activities.
Speaking on the Tinubu administration’s performance, Olayinka urged Nigerians to acknowledge progress in infrastructure, electricity supply and exchange-rate stability.
He cited the completion of the Apo-Karshi Road in Abuja as one of the administration’s infrastructure achievements.
Olayinka said the government’s responsibility was to create an enabling environment for development, urging Nigerians to recognise the administration’s efforts and build on them.
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