“Wike, Abuja and Rivers Are Not Yours” — Fayose
Businessman and political commentator Isaac Fayose has challenged Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, following the minister’s declaration that he would resign if President Bola Tinubu loses the FCT and Rivers State in the 2027 presidential election.
lsaac Fayose
Wike made the declaration on Wednesday while addressing leaders and members of the Apo Mechanics and Traders Association in Abuja, where he said he would submit his resignation if Tinubu failed to win the two areas.
The minister said the FCT was the territory where he currently worked, while Rivers State remained his home state, making victory in both places important to him.
Nyesom Wike
Wike’s declaration has generated reactions from political commentators and social media users, with Fayose among those who have publicly challenged the minister’s confidence about the expected outcome.
In a post on Facebook on Thursday, Fayose claimed that Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, would defeat Tinubu in both the FCT and Rivers State if the election was conducted freely and fairly.
Fayose said Obi won the nation’s capital during the 2023 presidential election and argued that his support in the FCT would increase in 2027.
“Wike, I’m telling you that Abuja is Obi. We won the last time, and this time, we will win more,” Fayose said.
He also claimed that the All Progressives Congress would not secure 25 per cent of the votes in Abuja, while insisting that Rivers State would also favour Obi.
“Rivers State is also Obi. You are not going anywhere,” he said, directly challenging Wike’s confidence about delivering the state for Tinubu.
Fayose further criticised President Tinubu’s administration and called for a change of government, saying the President should leave office to allow the country to move forward.
He also dismissed concerns about possible electoral manipulation, urging supporters not to be intimidated by claims that those in power could influence the outcome of the election.
“When they try to rig, we will all see. But if it’s free and fair, they can’t get 21 per cent,” Fayose said.
The businessman also accused some supporters of the administration of seeking to retain Tinubu in power for their own political benefits.
“It is time to take our country back,” he said.
Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, has remained a prominent supporter of Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election and has repeatedly defended his decision to work with the President despite his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party.
At the Abuja meeting, Wike said he would take responsibility if Tinubu failed to win in the FCT and Rivers State, insisting that his political commitment to the President would be tested by the result of the election.
The exchange between Wike and Fayose adds another layer to the growing political contest over the FCT and Rivers State as political actors begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
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