The Senior Political Assistant to the African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, Demola Olarewaju, on Tuesday said the momentum of the opposition would die if the former vice president stepped down from the presidential race ahead of 2027.

Olarewaju insisted that Atiku is the only candidate showing the capacity to match President Bola Tinubu locally and internationally.

Posting on X, he wrote: “Atiku steps down now and opposition momentum dies totally – an election with the incumbent as contestant is a different ballgame from a transition election.

“2027 is beyond Atiku. Atiku himself is the bridge for us to build and hold an opposition core, post-2027.

“Atiku is the only candidate showing capacity to match Bola Tinubu locally and internationally in 2027.

“Every election is unique and different and everyone should get ready.

“2023 went the way it did because Buhari wasn’t too invested in Tinubu’s victory, that’s why APC lost Lagos and communal rigging was allowed in many states.”

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday warned the opposition to dismiss the idea of defeating President Bola Tinubu in 2027, stressing that they should start crying ahead of the polls.

Wike said the opposition can decide to put their house in order after 2027 because they can’t defeat Tinubu in January.

Speaking during a press conference in Abuja, the minister said: “While the winning man will be scoring over 500,000 votes, the second person scored over 400,000; the third person will be scoring 17,000? A party of the former governor? Then when it gets to the national election, that is where the party will win?

“Try, they know that the only thing they can do now is to start crying, but if it’s to win the election, no, they can’t win.

“Maybe after now they can start planning and putting their house in order, but if it’s this 2027 election against Tinubu, no, forget it, it’s over.

“How you choose leaders is what attempts or steps are you making to solve problems, so don’t be talking about opposition; say depleted opposition, which I’m one of those that depleted them.”