…says 2027 Will Be Easiest Election for Tinubu
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has attributed Governor Ademola Adeleke’s victory in the August 15, 2026, Osun State governorship election to local political factors, insisting that the outcome was not the result of federal interference.
Wike spoke on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, in Abuja during a press briefing while responding to questions on the Osun election and the implications of the result for the 2027 general elections.
According to the minister, the outcome of the Osun election demonstrated that the Federal Government had allowed the electoral process to run without undue interference, dismissing claims that federal might was deployed to favour the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“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,” he added.
The FCT minister challenged those alleging the deployment of federal might in Osun to compare the election with previous contests where he said the power of the Federal Government was more visibly deployed.
“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?” he asked.
Wike’s comments came after Adeleke, the incumbent governor, secured victory in the governorship election, defeating his closest challenger, the APC candidate, Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji.
‘Governorship Polls Are Different’
Wike said the result should also be understood within the context of local political dynamics, stressing that governorship elections were fundamentally different from presidential contests.
“Governorship elections rely on local variables, but a national election is a completely different ballgame,” he said.
The minister argued that the opposition’s current political condition would make it difficult for any challenger to defeat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.
Reflecting on the 2023 presidential election, Wike said the contest had been much more uncertain for Tinubu, who was then the presidential candidate of the APC.
“2023 was a tough election for him,” he said. “Nobody knew what the government at the time was trying to do, and 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 criticised opposition parties and politicians, particularly the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential contenders, over what he described as divisions and weak performances in recent governorship elections.
He also recalled the role played by the G5 governors in the 2023 presidential election, suggesting that the absence of a similarly strong political structure would undermine the opposition’s chances in 2027.
“If it is this 2027 election against Bola Ahmed Tinubu, forget it. It’s over,” Wike declared.
Wike: 2027 Will Be Easiest Election for Tinubu
The minister described the 2027 presidential election as potentially the easiest contest for Tinubu, arguing that the opposition had become “crippled and depleted.”
He said opposition politicians seeking to dislodge the ruling administration must first build a credible and formidable political structure instead of relying on alliances formed shortly before elections.
Wike also urged Nigerians to assess the Tinubu administration based on the actions it had taken to address the country’s challenges rather than on emotions or political sentiments.
“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,” the minister added.
