Oba of Lagos Endorses Tinubu, Atiku Insists 2027 Election Will Proceed

The Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, has endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term, declaring there would be "no vacancy in Aso Rock" for the next four or five years. The endorsement, made during a visit from the All Progressives Congress presidential campaign council, has drawn a sharp response from opposition candidate Atiku Abubakar, who insists the Nigerian Constitution mandates a fresh election in 2027. The monarch made the statement on Monday while receiving the Director-General of the Tinubu Presidential Campaign Council, Abdulaziz Yari, and other party officials at his palace in Lagos. Akiolu's declaration frames the 2027 election as already settled in favor of the incumbent. Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, rejected the endorsement in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication. "Kabiyesi, with due respect, Aso Rock is not an extension of your palace, and Nigeria's presidency is not a royal stool for you to allocate," Atiku said. "There will be a vacancy in 2027 because the Constitution says so." Atiku emphasized that only the electorate has the authority to decide the next president.