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Wike targets Atiku, Obi: The FCT Minister says his political mission ahead of 2027 is to keep opposition figures uncomfortable, declaring that he intends to “add more crises” and give them “high blood pressure.”
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‘There is no opposition’: Wike dismisses claims that the opposition currently has a formidable leader or dominant party, blaming the PDP’s prolonged internal crisis for its weakened position.
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Adeleke joins Tinubu’s ‘Rainbow Coalition’: Wike says Osun Governor Ademola Adeleke’s recent engagements with President Bola Tinubu and himself are part of a growing cross-party coalition backing the President’s 2027 re-election bid.
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‘Election will be concluded before it starts’: Wike predicts a sweeping victory for Tinubu, saying more politicians will join the emerging coalition and declaring, “Adeleke belongs to us, and we all belong to Mr President.”
August 21, (THEWILL) — The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has launched a blistering attack on opposition politicians ahead of the 2027 general election, declaring that his objective is to keep them under political pressure and make their presidential ambitions increasingly difficult.
Wike specifically referenced presidential candidates of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi respectively, describing his approach to the emerging contest, saying he was under no obligation to make his political opponents comfortable.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Friday during an inspection of ongoing projects in the FCT, the minister said politics was a contest in which every side sought to defeat its opponents.
“I don’t want them to feel well. It is not my wish that they should feel well. My business is to make them not feel well all day, because they will be having high blood pressure. I guess that is my job — to make them have high blood pressure. Everybody knows now how they feel. I will add more crises for them”, he declared.
The comments came against the backdrop of renewed efforts by opposition politicians to forge a common platform ahead of 2027, as President Bola Tinubu’s supporters seek to consolidate his political base across party lines.
Wike, a former governor of Rivers State and a prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has remained one of the most influential political figures in Tinubu’s administration despite retaining his membership of the opposition party.
His intervention on Friday centred largely on the strength of the opposition and the political significance of recent developments involving Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke.
Wike rejected the description of any existing political formation as a formidable opposition to the Tinubu administration. He argued that the PDP, which traditionally would have been regarded as the country’s main opposition party, had been weakened by its internal crisis and was therefore incapable of providing the kind of coherent challenge expected of a leading opposition party.
“When you say opposition, I have told you, I don’t know what you call opposition. I say there is no opposition now. Who is the opposition leader now? Obviously, it would have been PDP, but because of the crisis we have had, you can’t see a formidable party that you will call the leading opposition party”, he said.
Wike also dismissed politicians currently presenting themselves as the nucleus of an opposition movement, saying some were merely seeking relevance.
His position reflects the increasingly fragmented nature of the opposition ahead of 2027, with different political groups exploring alliances while prominent figures, including Atiku and Obi, remain central to efforts to challenge Tinubu.
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Adeleke and Tinubu
Wike’s assessment of the opposition was closely linked to the recent political developments surrounding Adeleke. He argued that Adeleke’s victory should not be interpreted as a gain for the opposition because the governor has continued to support Tinubu at the presidential level.
According to the minister, Adeleke’s recent meeting with Tinubu and himself was part of a broader effort to consolidate a cross-party political alliance in support of the President.
“What happened last night was a meeting to review the Rainbow Coalition, and he is supporting Mr President. It is a different party. I am supporting Mr President. I am in a different party. So, it is a Rainbow Coalition”, he said, adding that the coalition would grow in the weeks ahead.
“In the next few weeks, watch what is going to happen. You will see the Rainbow Coalition in this country supporting Mr President”, he stated.
Although Adeleke contested the Osun governorship election on the Accord platform, Wike said the governor remained a PDP politician who had been forced to seek another platform because of the party’s internal crisis.
“Adeleke is only a member of the PDP, but because of the internal wrangling, and for him to secure a ticket to run for a second term, he had to find a platform”, he added.
Wike also rejected claims by members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) that the opposition platform contributed substantially to Adeleke’s victory.
“All those African Democratic Congress ADC people who are talking about, ‘Oh, they helped Adeleke to win,’ you have seen that they just wanted to harvest what they never planted. Adeleke is fully supporting Mr President. Sorry, Adeleke belongs to us, and we all belong to Mr President”, he claimed.
Wike described the 2027 contest as one that would be particularly easy for the President’s political camp.
“I told you that the 2027 election would be the easiest election. This election will be concluded before it starts”, he declared.
Asked whether he was concerned about how Atiku, Obi and other opposition figures viewed his recent political engagements. Wike said their reaction was of no consequence to him.
“I don’t care; whatever they feel is not my business. I am not here to make them do well. When you are having a contest with somebody, your business is not to make him feel well. Your business is to make sure that you beat him thoroughly, and he will be sick all through. And that is what we are doing to them. So, we have to be patient. It doesn’t give me a headache. Everybody knows now how they feel. I will add more crises for them.”
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
