President Bola Tinubu has promised his opponents a tough time in the 2027 general elections.

He vowed to wrestle them to the finishing point at the  ballot for his re-election.

The Nigerian leader spoke on Tuesday while welcoming a delegation of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) to the State House.

The bishops were led by the CBCN president Matthew Ndagoso.

“I’m ready, but I won’t give them a red carpet. I won’t offer them the leash to tie me and rope me. No, we wrestle each other to the finishing point,” Mr Tinubu said.

He acknowledged that the election battle would be fierce but fair to ensure all candidates were given equal opportunities to the top job.

“I asked for this job. I’m in it. Those who will take it from me will try. They will try. All is fair in politics, and it’s equal opportunity,” he said.

The president further defended the integrity of the Independent National Electoral Commission, stating that the commission does not intimidate candidates. 

The appointment of APC-linked Joash Amupitan as INEC chairman had sparked uproar and calls for resignation among opposition political parties and candidates who doubted the integrity of the polls.

But Mr Tinubu backed the INEC, asserting its neutrality as mandated by the constitution. 

He noted that the candidates were only fearful because of the distrust within their political camps.

“INEC, you mentioned, is neutral. They’ve never, never intimidated anybody. If political opponents are crying wolves, maybe they are afraid of their own shadows and the uncertainty in the companies they keep, not me.”