Wike Says Opposition Depleted, Crippled; No Threat to Tinubu in 2027

…FCT Minister says opposition lacks the strength, unity and organisation to defeat President in 2027

By Peter Salami
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that President Bola Tinubu faces his easiest presidential election in 2027, arguing that the opposition has become too divided and weakened to mount a credible challenge.

Wike made the assertion in Abuja on Tuesday while reacting to the outcome of last Saturday’s Osun State governorship election, won by Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party for a second term.

The minister contrasted the political environment ahead of the 2027 election with the 2023 presidential contest, which he described as a difficult and uncertain election for Tinubu.

According to him, removing an incumbent government at the national level requires a strong and well-organised opposition that has spent years building its structures and developing a coherent strategy.

“2023 was a tough election for the president. Nobody knew what the government at the time was trying to do. Even governors were afraid.

“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 was emphatic about Tinubu’s prospects in the next presidential election, declaring: “If it is this 2027 election against Tinubu, forget it. It’s over.”

Wike also defended the Tinubu administration against allegations by opposition parties that the Federal Government deployed its influence to manipulate the Osun election.

He said the government deserved credit for allowing the electoral process to run without undue interference, particularly during the Osun governorship poll.

“When they lose, they claim the government manipulated the process; when they win, they show off their might. It does not work that way,” he said.

“From what I have seen, this government allows processes to run their own way, and they must be given credit for that.”

The FCT minister challenged opposition politicians claiming to have defeated the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) despite the alleged backing of the Federal Government to explain what they understood by “federal might”.

“They don’t know what a federal might is. I think they should come and ask people like us who faced federal might in 2019,” he said.

Wike recalled the 2019 Rivers State governorship election, alleging that the state witnessed a heavy deployment of federal security forces.

“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?” he asked.

The minister further criticised opposition parties over what he described as persistent internal divisions, poor organisation and weak performances in recent governorship elections.

He pointed to the role played by the G5 governors in the 2023 election, arguing that national elections required a significantly broader political structure than state-level contests.

“Governorship elections rely on local variables, but a national election is a completely different ballgame,” Wike said.

He maintained that the current state of the opposition, coupled with the absence of a strong and united political force capable of challenging the APC nationally, had placed Tinubu in a particularly advantageous position ahead of 2027.