Senator Biodun Olujimi, a veteran Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker and former Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, on July 31, 2025, delivered a pointed critique of Peter Obi’s political strategy, asserting that the rhetoric that earned him a 25% vote share in the 2023 presidential election will fail to resonate in the 2027 polls.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Olujimi, who has served over two decades in the Senate including as Minority Leader, argued that Obi’s campaign, built on eloquent promises of economic salvation and youth mobilization, on a 44% inflation rate and widespread discontent but lacks the depth to counter President Bola Tinubu’s entrenched political machinery. She noted that Tinubu’s 30-year governance experience in Lagos, coupled with reforms like naira floatation stabilizing at ₦1,550 per dollar despite a current 33.4% inflation rate, has shifted the electoral narrative.
Olujimi, who has threatened to leave the PDP if it fails to reorganize, suggested that Obi’s potential move to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition, where he holds informal influence, is undermined by the party’s structural weaknesses, lacking functional ward offices in 70% of Ekiti’s 177 wards. She predicted Tinubu’s re-election unless Obi innovates beyond his 2023 playbook, which garnered 6 million votes, reflecting urban frustration amid 70 million Nigerians living below $2.15 daily per World Bank data.
Political analysts observe that Obi’s appeal may wane as economic conditions stabilize, though public fatigue with both leaders could open new opportunities. The narrative of rhetorical obsolescence is a bold challenge, positioning Olujimi as a voice of seasoned realism, but it hinges on whether Obi can adapt or if Tinubu’s incumbency will dominate, shaping a fiercely contested 2027 race.