May 31, 2026
•NIIA Research Director, Prof Otubanjo: Wike has shot president in the foot
By Nnamdi Ojiego
As political realignments gather pace ahead of the next general elections, Director of Research at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Prof. Femi Otubanjo, speaks on the emergence of presidential candidates for the parties, and assesses the growing permutations, alliances and power struggles already shaping the battle for 2027. Otubanjo also says recent developments in Rivers State may have dealt a serious political blow to President Bola Tinubu’s ambition in the South-South.
In this interview, the scholar, who appeared on an Arise News programme, argues that the sidelining of Governor Siminalayi Fubara could alienate Ijaw voters across the region and ultimately weaken the APC’s electoral calculations. Excerpts:
