Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, has thrown down the gauntlet at Nigeria’s opposition parties, telling them in no uncertain terms that their dreams of unseating President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election are dead on arrival. Speaking to reporters in Abuja on Tuesday, Wike delivered a blistering message: the opposition should save their energy and simply start crying now, because victory against Tinubu is off the table.
Wike dismissed any notion of a political upset, pointing to what he described as the opposition’s glaring weaknesses and internal disarray. He mocked the idea that a party still struggling to secure even 17,000 votes in a regional contest could somehow rally to win a national election. “The winning man will be scoring over 500,000 votes, the second person scored over 400,000; the third person will be scoring 17,000? A party of the former governor? Then when it gets to the national election, that is where the party will win?” he asked, his tone dripping with scepticism.
The minister, known for his combative political style, was unsparing in his assessment. He argued that the opposition’s only realistic move at this point is to accept their fate and begin planning for a future beyond 2027. “Try, they know that the only thing they can do now is to start crying, but if it’s to win the election, no, they can’t win,” Wike said. He added that any serious rebuilding efforts should be postponed until after the next presidential contest, because against Tinubu, “forget it, it’s over.”
Wike also took a swipe at the opposition’s credibility, labelling them a “depleted” force rather than a legitimate challenge. He even claimed a personal role in their downfall, saying, “How you choose leaders is what attempts or steps are you making to solve problems, so don’t be talking about opposition; say depleted opposition, which I’m one of those that depleted them.” His remarks are likely to stoke further tension in an already charged political atmosphere, as the countdown to 2027 begins.
