He said the political climate ahead of the next election appears to be shaping up in a way that could make the race more competitive than many assume, especially if the major opposition figures remain active and retain influence across their traditional support bases.
Sowunmi said the 2027 presidential election could eventually narrow down to a direct battle between Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Speaking during an appearance on Arise Television’s Morning Show, Sowunmi said Tinubu is still likely to secure strong support in parts of the country, particularly in the South-West where the president has long maintained a deep political base.
He noted that Tinubu’s established influence in the region, alongside the structure of the ruling party, could still deliver a sizeable bloc of votes, even if the overall outcome of the election proves tighter than expected.
He also suggested that the South-South may produce better numbers for Tinubu than the South-East, based on how current political developments appear to be unfolding.
Sowunmi’s assessment pointed to a possible regional voting pattern in which the president may continue to find support in areas outside his traditional stronghold, though not necessarily enough to dominate the entire field in a landslide fashion if the opposition is able to consolidate its strength before the poll.
Sowunmi went further to project that Tinubu could win 22 states in the 2027 election, a figure that would still place him in a competitive position but also reflect a more restrained performance compared with the commanding results sometimes associated with sitting presidents seeking another term.
His remarks suggest that while Tinubu may remain a formidable candidate with significant electoral reach, the path to victory could be shaped by a more intense contest across several battleground states.
The former ADC ally’s comments add to the growing political conversations around the likely shape of the 2027 race, particularly as politicians and analysts begin to weigh the strength of the ruling party against the ability of the opposition to rally around a common candidate.
By placing Tinubu and Atiku at the centre of his projection, Sowunmi indicated that the next election may once again be influenced by familiar political heavyweights whose names have dominated national campaigns in recent election cycles.
He said: “Of course, he is going to get good numbers in the Southwest. I even suspect that the South South may even bring in more good numbers than the Southeast, the way I’m looking at things.”
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