FCT Minister Wike Predicts Easy Win for Tinubu in 2027

The Minister for the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has confidently asserted that President Bola Tinubu will secure an effortless victory in the 2027 presidential election, downplaying any significant challenge from the opposition.

Wike made this bold declaration on Tuesday during a media briefing, which followed the recently concluded Osun State governorship election. Despite an opposition party candidate winning in Osun, Wike labeled the opposition as "crippled and depleted," maintaining that state-level elections are influenced by local factors, which differ greatly from national polls. "If it is this 2027 election against Bola Ahmed Tinubu, forget it. It’s over," Wike stated emphatically.

He further criticized the presidential candidates of the primary opposition parties, Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Peter Obi of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), for their internal disunity and less-than-stellar performances in recent governorship contests. Wike pointed to the considerable influence of the G5 Governors in the 2023 election, suggesting that without such crucial backing, opposition figures stand little chance in national political battles.

The FCT Minister also dismissed suggestions that "federal might" was deployed to support the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Osun State election. He argued that those making such claims had not truly experienced the force of federal power in an electoral process. "They don’t know what federal might is. I think they should come and ask people like us who faced federal might in 2019. In Rivers State, in 2019, we saw what is called federal might. We saw soldiers taking over everywhere. Did anything like that happen in Osun State?"

Reflecting on past elections, Wike drew a clear distinction between the current political climate and the 2023 general election, which he described as a period of intense stress and uncertainty for the then-incumbent president. Regarding the 2027 presidential race, he recalled that 2023 was a tough election, adding, "Nobody knew what the government at the time was trying to do, and even governors were afraid." However, he confidently predicted, "But 2027 will be different. To remove a government, you need a strong, vibrant opposition that has spent over four years planning not one that is constantly looking for a party to join." Wike concluded by commending the Tinubu administration for allowing democratic processes to run freely without undue interference.