I Would Have Won Osun State At All Cost If Tinubu Wanted it - FCT Min. Wike

FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has claimed that President Bola Tinubu could have ensured an All Progressives Congress (APC) victory in the recent Osun State governorship election if he had chosen to deploy the full influence of the federal government.

Wike, who remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said Tinubu deliberately allowed the election to play out without federal interference.

Speaking on Tuesday during an inspection of flood-prone areas in Maitama, Abuja, Wike said he would have supported the president if he had decided to use federal might to secure victory for the APC.

“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 incumbent governor, Ademola Adeleke, who contested under the Accord platform, was declared the winner of the August 15 election after securing victory in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas. The APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, won in 11 LGAs.

According to Wike, the outcome was evidence that the federal government did not interfere in the election to favour 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.

Wike also suggested that Adeleke could have ended up in the APC if political circumstances had been different.

“Ordinarily, Adeleke would have been with APC if things had worked out well,” he remarked.

Looking ahead to the 2027 presidential election, the FCT minister predicted that Tinubu would face a much easier contest than he did in 2023.

“The 2027 elections will be the easiest one for the President compared to 2023,” Wike said.

He attributed his prediction to what he described as a weakened opposition, adding that the opposition had been “crippled” and left without a strong political platform.

“This time around, the opposition has been crippled, homeless, no feather,” Wike added.