Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), says President Bola Tinubu could have secured victory for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the recent Osun governorship election if the president wanted it “at all costs”.
The minister, who remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said Tinubu deliberately allowed the election to run without interference from the federal government.
Wike spoke on Tuesday while inspecting flood-prone areas in Maitama, Abuja.
He said if the president had chosen to deploy his political influence to guarantee an APC victory, he would have supported the effort.
“If the president had wanted to win the Osun state election at all costs, I would have been there and we would have won it, and there’s nothing the governor can do,” Wike said.
Ademola Adeleke, the incumbent governor and Accord candidate, was declared winner of the August 15 election after securing victory in 19 of the 30 LGAs, while Bola Oyebamiji, the APC candidate, won the remaining 11.
Wike said the result was evidence that the federal government did not use its influence to manipulate the election in favour of the APC.
“There was no federal might used in Osun. When you see the force and might of the federal government, you will know,” he said.
The FCT minister also suggested that Adeleke’s political alignment could have been different if circumstances within the APC had worked out differently.
“Ordinarily, Adeleke would have been with APC if things had worked out well,” he said.
Wike, who has maintained his support for Tinubu despite remaining in the opposition PDP, also predicted an easier presidential contest for the president in 2027 than the election he faced in 2023.2023.
“The 2027 elections will be the easiest one for the President compared to 2023,” he said.
The former Rivers state governor attributed his prediction to what he described as the weakened condition of the opposition parties.
“This time around, the opposition has been crippled, homeless, no feather,” Wike added.
Wike has continued to support the Tinubu administration despite remaining a member of the opposition PDP.
The Cable