Former Senate Minority Leader and one-time Ekiti Deputy Governor, Senator Biodun Olujimi, has cast doubts on Labour Party’s Peter Obi making any real impact in the 2027 presidential election, arguing that his 2023 tactics will not hold sway again.
Appearing on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, on Thursday, Olujimi argued that Obi’s eloquence and public appeal, which gained traction in the last election, would not be enough to challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid.
“The rhetoric of the last election will not work again, except he comes with another gimmick. And you see, this (Tinubu) is a politician, a man who knows the terrain well,” she said.
Olujimi, who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), praised Tinubu’s political pedigree, calling him a seasoned strategist with unmatched influence.
“This is the first time we are having a dyed-in-the-wool politician as president. He knows his onions; he knows all of us. He has been in the system for very long. It’s tough,” she added.
“This is a man who has worked with everyone, who has been useful to everyone, who has had opportunities to assist governments. Beating him? Uphill task.”
On her switch to the APC, the senator attributed it to the administration’s boldness and clarity in decision-making.
“The APC we talked about in the past, the government that was in power then, is not the current one in power. There is a different APC now,” Olujimi said.
“This government is pragmatic. It’s resolute, it’s taking tough decisions and running with the decisions. It’s not like other governments, taking tough decisions and when people start to complain, dropping it and making them comfortable again, going back to the old ways.”
While acknowledging criticisms of her departure from the PDP — a party that helped build her political profile — Olujimi said her constituents welcomed the move.
“My people at the grassroots are happy I left the PDP,” she noted.
