Wike mocks opposition, says coast clear for Tinubu’s re-election

By Philip Yatai

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has said the pathway for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 is entirely clear.

Wike said this while dismissing opposition parties as “fragmented entities” incapable of forming a formidable coalition.

Speaking to reporters after inspection of projects in Abuja on Monday, Wike mocked the internal squabbles within the opposition camps.

He said that the recent public admissions by key opposition figures have vindicated his long-standing position that their structures were inherently compromised.

Dismissing the existence of any genuine coalition, the minister laughed at rival political groups who had previously positioned themselves as alternatives to the ruling government, promising to bring change to Nigerians.

He said that the rival political groups have forgotten what they want.

“They all gathered and said, ‘This government is not doing well. We are the face of the new people; we are the ones that will give the people the change that they require.’

“They also claimed they wanted to make life better, however, recent statements from Babachir Lawal regarding internal manipulation and ‘rigging machines’ within the opposition proved that their grand alliance had collapsed before even starting,” he said.

Lawal, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, on Monday, dumped the African Democratic Congress (ADC) over alleged rigged primary elections.

Lawal alleged that the party’s presidential primary election was rigged in favour of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Responding, Wike insisted that experienced politicians knew from the onset that the opposition’s framework was heavily tilted in favour of Atiku Abubakar, the former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, rendering any talk of a fair coalition meaningless.

“I said it in the morning, if you are a politician, you will understand that the structure was set for Abubakar. There is no need to worry yourself to say you want to participate as a coalition party. There is no coalition,” he asserted.

He argued that criticisms coming from within the opposition’s own ranks show that “things are really very bad in their so-called mushroom political parties.”

Reassuring supporters of the current administration, Wike told Nigerians not to lose sleep over threats of a united opposition front ahead of the next general election cycle.

“So, we are happy. You can see the coast is very clear for the President to be re-elected in 2027,” he said.

(NAN)