A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Segun Sowunmi, has said that former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, may not pose a serious challenge to President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections. According to him, Obi currently lacks the political strength needed to stand as a strong opposition figure.

Sowunmi made this statement during an interview on Politics Today on Channels Television. He explained that political leaders at the state level in the South-East have not been inspiring enough to build a solid support base for Obi. He noted that some governors in the region are performing well and would not easily be swept aside by Obi’s influence.

The PDP chieftain said the original goal of the movement behind Obi was to break political barriers and give the South-East a fair chance at national leadership. However, he argued that internal problems weakened the movement. According to him, Obi failed to properly control rising anger, bigotry, and confrontational attitudes among some of his supporters.

Sowunmi added that these issues pushed many potential supporters away instead of drawing them closer. He stressed that for any candidate to successfully challenge an incumbent president like Tinubu, unity, discipline, and broad national appeal are required, qualities he believes Obi has not fully demonstrated ahead of 2027.