Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said President Bola Tinubu could have secured victory for the All Progressives Congress in the August 15 Osun State governorship election if he had chosen to use the influence of the Federal Government.
Wike made the remarks on Tuesday while inspecting flood-prone areas in Maitama, Abuja.
The former Rivers State governor, who remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, said the Federal Government deliberately refrained from interfering in the election.
According to him, if Tinubu had been determined to ensure an APC victory, he would have supported the effort and 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.
Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party was declared winner of the election after polling 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, won in 11 LGAs.
Wike said the result showed that the Federal Government did not deploy its political influence 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.
The FCT minister also claimed that Adeleke could ordinarily have been a member of the APC if certain political circumstances had worked out differently.
“Ordinarily, Adeleke would have been with APC if things had worked out well,” Wike said.
Wike, who has remained supportive of Tinubu despite his continued membership of the opposition PDP, also predicted that the president would have a relatively easier presidential election in 2027 compared with the 2023 contest.
“The 2027 elections will be the easiest one for the President compared to 2023,” he said.
He attributed the prediction to what he described as the weakened state of the opposition.
“This time around, the opposition has been crippled, homeless, no feather,” Wike added.
