The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will face little difficulty securing re-election in 2027, insisting that the opposition is currently too weak and divided to mount a serious challenge.
Wike made the declaration yesterday in Abuja while reacting to the recently concluded Osun State governorship election during a press briefing.
The minister also defended the conduct of the election, saying the Tinubu administration deserved commendation for allowing the democratic process to run without undue interference.
He said opposition politicians often accuse the government of manipulating elections when they lose but celebrate the same process when they emerge victorious.
“When they lose, they claim the government manipulated the process; when they win, they show off their might. It does not work that way,” Wike said.
“From what I have seen, this government allows processes to run their own way, and they must be given credit for that.”
Wike dismissed claims that the Federal Government deployed its machinery to influence the Osun election in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to him, those making such allegations have not experienced what he described as genuine “federal might”, recalling the 2019 governorship election in Rivers State.
“They don’t know what federal might is. I think they should come and ask people like us who faced federal might in 2019,” he said.
The FCT minister alleged that soldiers took over parts of Rivers State during the 2019 election, asking whether anything similar happened in Osun.
Comparing the 2027 contest with the 2023 presidential election, Wike said the last election was a difficult one for Tinubu, with uncertainty surrounding the political environment.
“2023 was a tough election for him. Nobody knew what the government at the time was trying to do, and even governors were afraid,” he said.
He argued, however, that the situation had changed, with the opposition lacking the unity and organisation needed to defeat an incumbent president.
“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 said.
He criticised opposition parties, particularly the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and some former PDP presidential contenders, accusing them of internal divisions and poor performances in recent governorship elections.
Wike also recalled the influence of the G5 governors in the 2023 presidential election, arguing that national elections require broad political structures and alliances.
“Governorship elections rely on local variables, but a national election is a completely different ballgame,” he said.
The minister was particularly emphatic about Tinubu’s chances in 2027, declaring: “If it is this 2027 election against Bola Ahmed Tinubu, forget it. It’s over.”
On economic hardship and public concerns about the economy, Wike urged Nigerians to assess leadership based on concrete measures taken to solve problems rather than emotions.
“Leadership is defined by the steps you take to solve problems,” he said.
“When someone identifies a problem and takes concrete action to fix it, that is the effort people should appreciate.”
