Senator representing Abia North Senatorial District, Orji Uzor Kalu, has declared that President Bola Tinubu remains the favourite to win the 2027 presidential election, insisting that the opposition is too divided to pose a serious threat despite prevailing economic hardship.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Kalu defended the administration’s performance, arguing that while Nigerians are still grappling with economic challenges, the government has made notable progress in stabilising the economy and addressing insecurity.

The former Abia State governor maintained that Tinubu has “no competition” ahead of the next general election, attributing his confidence to the achievements of the administration and the weakness of opposition parties.

“I told you here before that President Tinubu has no competition, and I am still repeating it, he has no competition,” Kalu said.

“You check what we did during the primaries, the membership strength of the party and the things Tinubu has done all over Nigeria. Although you will still say it is not enough, a lot of things have been done by this government.”

According to him, the administration’s major shortcoming lies in poor communication of its achievements.

“It is just that we were very unlucky that we did not market what this government has done very well. President Tinubu himself was not interested in marketing what he has delivered. People simply took many of the achievements for granted,” he said.

Kalu also claimed that the President is facing opposition from individuals both within and outside government circles.

“Tinubu has a lot of arch-enemies, both within and outside government, who want to pull him down,” he added.

Despite acknowledging that economic improvements have not fully reached ordinary Nigerians, Kalu insisted the administration deserves another term to consolidate its reforms.

“The economy is doing well partially, but it has not gone down to the level we expected,” he said.

“When you have done well in many areas and there are some areas you have not done well, people should give you the opportunity to rewrite the examination. We are not saying everything is perfect.”

Assessing Tinubu’s performance after three years in office, the senator awarded the President a score of 65 per cent.

“In the scale of 100, President Tinubu has done 65 per cent well. It is only the micro economy that is still struggling,” he said.

“That is a heavy pass. By September or October, it will be 70 per cent, which is an A.”

Kalu attributed the slow recovery of the microeconomy largely to insecurity, particularly banditry, which he said has hindered farming activities.

“We have stabilised the macro economy. The real cause of not stabilising the micro economy is banditry. President Tinubu has taken it upon himself to fight these bandits so that people can return to farming,” he noted.

He urged Nigerians to acknowledge the successes of security agencies in combating crime, citing recent rescue operations.

“Why don’t you give the government credit for rescuing those kidnapped in Kwara? The President, the National Security Adviser, the armed forces, the police and the DSS are working together to deal with these hoodlums,” he said.

On public dissatisfaction expressed through protests, Kalu described demonstrations as a legitimate part of democracy.

“Protest is part of democracy. I cannot deny people their right to protest. It is their entitlement. But are we doing well? The answer is yes. We have not yet reached where we are supposed to be.”

Responding to concerns that economic hardship could strengthen the opposition ahead of 2027, the senator insisted the  (APC) would convince Nigerians to renew its mandate.

“When you don’t do well in part of your examination, you are given an opportunity to rewrite it. That is what we are asking Nigerians to do,” he said.

Kalu also dismissed narratives on social media suggesting widespread rejection of the administration.

“Half of the things they say on social media are lies. It is not about me; it is about our country. Many people are spreading falsehoods,” he said.

He argued that the opposition’s inability to unite would ultimately favour the APC.

“The opposition is very weak. If they were together, we would start having some sleepless nights. But now they are not together.”

Although he acknowledged that a united opposition could pose a greater challenge, Kalu maintained that Tinubu would still prevail.

“If they were together, it would give us a little concern, but not too much. Right now, I am not having sleepless nights.”

Asked whether key opposition figures like  and  pose any threat, Kalu said none of them individually could stop Tinubu’s re-election.

“All these people are not threats. If they had been together, there would be a problem,” he said.

The senator also expressed confidence that Tinubu would improve his electoral performance in the South-East.

“We are going to give a good account of ourselves in the South-East in a free and fair election,” he said.

He predicted that Tinubu would win Abia State despite the popularity of Governor Alex Otti's whom he also backed for a second term.

“Tinubu will win in Abia,” Kalu said.

“Alex Otti will win the governorship election. He is my brother and my banker. Whatever I want to tell him, I tell him privately.”

On whether he would accept defeat if Tinubu lost, Kalu said he would congratulate the winner but does not believe such a scenario would occur.

“If President Tinubu loses, I will congratulate whoever wins. But President Tinubu can never lose the election because he has done so well, and our party members across the country will campaign until we win,” he concluded.