Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said President Bola Tinubu could have used the power and influence of the Federal Government to secure victory for the All Progressives Congress in the recently concluded Osun State governorship election.
Wike made the statement on Tuesday while inspecting flood-prone areas in Maitama, Abuja, arguing that Tinubu deliberately allowed the election to take place without deploying federal power to influence the outcome.
According to the FCT minister, if the President had wanted the APC to win the election at all costs, the outcome would have been different.
“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.
The Osun governorship election was won by Governor Ademola Adeleke, who defeated the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji.
Adeleke won in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji secured victory in the remaining 11.
Wike said the result showed that the Federal Government did not deploy its full machinery to influence 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 could ordinarily have been an APC member if political circumstances had been different.
“Ordinarily, Adeleke would have been with APC if things had worked out well,” Wike said.
Despite remaining a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, Wike has continued to support President Tinubu and his administration.
He also predicted that Tinubu would face a much easier presidential election in 2027 compared with the 2023 election.
“The 2027 elections will be the easiest one for the President compared to 2023,” he said.
Wike attributed his prediction to what he described as the weakened state of the opposition parties, claiming that they had lost significant political influence and organisational strength.
“This time around, the opposition has been crippled, homeless, no feather,” he said.
Wike’s comments come amid continuing political reactions to the Osun election, which saw Adeleke secure another term despite a strong challenge from the APC.
The minister has remained in the PDP while openly backing Tinubu, a position that has continued to generate debate over his political alignment ahead of the 2027 general election.
