Former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, has criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election, describing him as the “most unserious” presidential candidate.
Dalung made the remarks during an interview with media personality Seun Okinbaloye, where he questioned the president’s political strategy and level of public support across the country.
According to the former minister, Tinubu is being insulated from the realities facing ordinary Nigerians and is relying on what he described as manufactured support rather than genuine public backing.
“I don’t see Tinubu as serious as you are presenting him. President Tinubu in 2027 is the most unserious person with all his strategies because he is underestimating the combustion that is coming with his party,” Dalung said.
He further alleged that the president is being shielded from public opinion and is receiving inaccurate assessments of his popularity.
“They have shielded him so much that he is living in a world of his own and being fed by what is produced on social media as support,” he stated.
Dalung also claimed that Tinubu’s support base is significantly smaller than widely perceived, arguing that the president’s popularity does not exceed 14 percent nationwide.
“Tinubu’s support, if I will be very sincere, is not up to 14 percent in Nigeria,” he said.
The former minister suggested that several states could become highly competitive battlegrounds in the next presidential election, including Lagos State, where he predicted a fierce contest among major political parties.
“Lagos is going to be a battle zone between APC, NDC, ADC and PDP,” Dalung stated.
He further argued that the administration’s handling of insecurity, economic hardship and public frustration could negatively affect the president’s re-election prospects.
“He was defeated in 2023. He will be defeated worse than what happened in 2023 because Tinubu doesn’t learn any lessons. If he learnt lessons, he should have known that allowing insecurity, hunger and frustration to fester is designing your political grave as a politician,” he added.
Dalung’s comments come as political discussions surrounding the 2027 general election continue to gain momentum, with opposition figures increasingly scrutinizing the performance of the current administration.
The Presidency has not officially responded to the remarks.