Cardinal Onaiyekan warns Tinubu set to win 2027 by any means
Cardinal John Onaiyekan warned that President Bola Tinubu's administration is determined to win the 2027 elections by any means, potentially undermining the credibility of the electoral process. Speaking in a live interview on Arise Television's 'Prime Time' on Friday, the Abuja-based Catholic prelate said the government has many tools at its disposal and is deploying them in a way that even a free and fair vote may not reflect the people's will. He expressed doubt about the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), despite Tinubu's claims of neutrality, and cautioned that without rearranging Nigeria's election system to ensure truly free, fair, and credible polls, the country risks difficulties and the emergence of a one-party state disguised as democracy. Onaiyekan stressed that while he does not expect the president to aid the opposition, Tinubu remains a candidate like any other and must compete on equal footing. He also noted that the country gains nothing from a one-party state in a so-called democracy and urged stakeholders to act before the situation deteriorates.