Nigeria TV Info

2027: I will make Tinubu lose 1 million votes — Marafa boasts

Former senator Kabiru Garba Marafa on Monday vowed to strip President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of about one million votes in the 2027 presidential election, a claim that deepened a public rupture between the ex-APC chieftain and the ruling party.

Marafa, who recently resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC), made the declaration during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, saying he would “deduct one million out of Mr President’s votes that he got in 2023” and would work to ensure the reduction.

The boast has drawn swift rebukes from party officials in Zamfara. The state APC described Marafa’s claim as baseless and dismissed him as “a rejected politician seeking relevance,” saying the party’s 2023 victory in the state was the result of broad party structures and other leaders rather than Marafa’s influence.

Other pro-Tinubu voices also pushed back. Dr. Josef Onoh, a former southeast campaign spokesman for Tinubu, publicly challenged Marafa’s capacity to deliver on the threat, calling the move unrealistic and politically motivated.

Marafa — who served as Zamfara State coordinator of the Tinubu/Shettima campaign in 2023 and is a former senator for Zamfara Central — said his break with the APC was driven by grievances he summed up as “use-and-dump” politics and perceived neglect of Zamfara under the current administration. Analysts say Marafa’s defection and loud pronouncements are likely aimed at shoring up a personal political base ahead of the next general election.

As 2027 approaches, Marafa’s vow is the latest in a string of high-profile defections and intra-party spats that are reshaping political calculations nationwide. Whether his pledge will translate into measurable losses for Tinubu — or simply fuel more public rebuttals and party damage control — remains to be seen.

Key facts

• Marafa publicly vowed to reduce Tinubu’s 2027 tally by one million votes during a Channels TV interview.
• Zamfara APC dismissed the claim as baseless and politically motivated.
• Prominent pro-Tinubu voices have countered Marafa, questioning his influence and motives.