The Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lere Olayinka, has said some presidential candidates in the 2027 election are not contesting to win but to register their presence and remain politically relevant.
Olayinka made the assertion on Friday during an interview on Arise News, where he assessed the emerging political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The media aide to Nyesom Wike argued that the growing number of presidential aspirants should not be taken to mean that all the candidates have realistic chances of winning the election.
According to him, some politicians enter presidential contests primarily to make political statements, maintain visibility and sustain their relevance.
‘It is not everybody who contests elections who wants to win. Some people contest elections just to register their presence.
‘For instance, in this 2027 election, we have 19 presidential candidates. Can we honestly say that all 19 are contesting with the mindset of winning? The answer is no,’ he said.
Olayinka cited the performance of the African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, in the 2023 presidential election as an example.
He questioned how a candidate who secured about 14,600 votes in the last presidential election could realistically expect to win the presidency in 2027.
‘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.
The FCT Minister’s spokesman also questioned the electoral strength and grassroots spread of the party associated with former Anambra State Governor and 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
‘Even NDC, the party of Peter Obi, knows they cannot win the election. They are just contesting to try to register their presence,’ Olayinka said.
He maintained that winning a presidential election in Nigeria requires more than popularity and media visibility, stressing the importance of party structure, grassroots mobilisation and election-day personnel.
According to him, political parties without candidates and functional structures across several states would struggle to mount a serious challenge in a nationwide election.
‘You don’t have a governorship candidate in 15 states. You only have it in 13. There were elections in Ekiti and Osun recently.
‘NDC did not field candidates. How do you win an election when you don’t have people on the ground to canvass votes for you, to manage elections for you?’ he asked.
Olayinka said effective election management required a massive network of party agents and supporters across Nigeria’s polling units.
He noted that with about 176,846 polling units across the country, a serious presidential candidate would require substantial human resources to monitor and manage election activities.
‘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.
‘At least, you need five people. We have done elections before, so we know what it is.
‘It is not about making noise,’ he said.
Olayinka’s comments come amid increasing political realignments and consultations ahead of the 2027 general election, with opposition politicians and political parties exploring possible alliances to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).