PIUS ADE BABALEYE (PAB)
Former Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has boldly declared that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) will produce Nigeria’s next president in 2027, adding that the party is determined to unseat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu both at the federal level and in Lagos State. While such an assertion might sound audacious to some, to many Nigerians it comes across as nothing short of a political hallucination.
Aregbesola’s track record hardly supports the weight of such lofty dreams. As a two-term governor of Osun State, his administration was marked by controversies that left indelible scars on the state. Civil servants groaned under the burden of half salaries, the state was sharply divided along religious lines due to ill-conceived education policies, and his so-called “reforms” became breeding grounds for discord rather than progress.
Even as Minister of Interior, his performance left much to be desired. Nigeria witnessed more than ten major jailbreaks during his tenure—an alarming sign of failure in a ministry critical to national security. Instead of leaving behind a legacy of efficiency, he left behind chaos and insecurity in correctional institutions across the country.
Given this record, Aregbesola’s newfound conviction that ADC will dislodge Tinubu in 2027 sounds less like a political strategy and more like a desperate attempt at relevance. The reality is that a man who mismanaged Osun, polarised its people, and failed in his ministerial duties lacks the moral and political capital to lecture Nigerians on who should govern them.
If anything, his bold pronouncement only highlights the need for Nigerians to take such claims with a pinch of salt. Political ambition is free, but delusion is dangerous. If Aregbesola truly believes ADC stands a chance of producing the next president of Nigeria in 2027, then perhaps what he needs most right now is not a political platform but professional psychiatric evaluation and medication.