Renowned lawyer and public affairs analyst, Dele Farotimi, has expressed grave concerns over the prospects for genuine democratic change in Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with News Central, Mr Farotimi, known for his outspoken critiques of the political establishment, said he believes the outcome of the next elections may already be predetermined.
“Tinubu is not a man who leaves anything to chance. I warrant that the election result in 2027 is already written,” Mr Farotimi said, pointing to the ongoing realignments among political heavyweights as evidence of pre-election manoeuvring.
He argued that many of the political figures currently forging alliances ahead of the polls had previously occupied powerful positions but failed to bring about meaningful change, thereby offering little hope for a different outcome in 2027.
“People who have been dislocated from the power centre, those who genuinely desire change, are aligning with all kinds of interests. Even if they manage to gain power, without empowering the people, all that would have happened is the replacement of one set of slave masters with another,” he said.
Mr Farotimi was particularly critical of prominent political actors such as Atiku Abubakar, Nasir El-Rufai, and Rabiu Kwankwaso, accusing them of enabling the very system they now claim to oppose.
“Every person who has endorsed evil in the past, everyone who is today chasing Tinubu around, from Atiku to El-Rufai to Kwankwaso had the opportunity to act differently when they wielded power. What did they do? When they were enthroning him and were warned about the subversion of the Constitution and destruction of the democratic order, were they not applauding?” he asked.
The lawyer warned that unless Nigerians themselves become politically conscious and actively engage in reclaiming their sovereignty, the entrenched system of elite domination would persist.
“If the man sitting atop the pyramid says he deserves a third or fourth term, between Akpabio and his cohorts, they will give it to him,” Mr Farotimi added, suggesting that the system is structured to perpetuate itself in favour of the ruling elite.
