Public affairs analyst and social commentator, Henry Shield, has claimed that the popularity of President Bola Tinubu has declined significantly since the 2023 presidential election.
Mr Shield made the claim during an interview on Vanguard’s Politics Hub, where he argued that a large majority of Nigerians would not vote for the president if a nationwide opinion survey were conducted ahead of the 2027 general election.
According to him, his assessment was based on consultations, surveys and interactions with Nigerians across different segments of society.
“We do market consultation, market surveys, we do street surveys. We go out and we engage with the people, and I can tell you, sample 1,000 Nigerians, 900 of them are not going to vote for Tinubu,” Mr Shield said.
He, however, did not cite a formal nationwide poll or provide details of the methodology, sample distribution or data backing the 90 per cent figure.
Mr Shield challenged media organisations and other stakeholders to independently test his claim through a nationwide opinion survey, saying such an exercise would provide a clearer picture of voters’ current preferences ahead of the 2027 election.
“Please don’t take my word. You are a media house. Engage people to do this for the sake of our democracy, sample just 1,000. Don’t do 1,001. Don’t do the other 9,999. Exactly 1,000,” he said.
He reiterated his position, saying, “Sample 1,000 opinions today in Nigeria, 900 of them are not going to vote for Tinubu.”
Mr Shield’s comments come as political parties and potential contenders begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with the performance and popularity of the Tinubu administration expected to remain major issues in the emerging political contest.
