Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has said his political mission ahead of the 2027 general election is to ensure victory for President Bola Tinubu while making opposition politicians uncomfortable.
Wike made the remarks on Friday in Abuja while speaking with journalists during an inspection of ongoing projects in the Federal Capital Territory.
The minister dismissed the idea that Nigeria currently has a dominant opposition party, arguing that political divisions within the opposition have weakened its ability to challenge the ruling camp.
He also rejected claims that Governor Ademola Adeleke’s recent re-election in Osun State represented a major victory for the opposition.
According to Wike, Adeleke remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party despite contesting the Osun governorship election on another platform because of internal disagreements within the PDP.
Wike said Adeleke’s recent meeting with Tinubu and himself was connected to the emergence of a broader political alliance he described as the “Rainbow Coalition.”
> “Adeleke is fully supporting Mr President, and so we had to meet last night and encourage ourselves to continue. In the next few weeks, watch what is going to happen. You will see the Rainbow Coalition in this country supporting Mr President,” Wike said.
He insisted that the political developments ahead of 2027 would favour Tinubu, adding that the President’s supporters were already building a broad coalition across party lines.
> “Sorry, Adeleke belongs to us, and we all belong to Mr President,” he stated.
Wike also dismissed the influence of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Adeleke’s Osun victory, accusing members of the opposition party of attempting to take credit for a victory they did not create.
The minister was also asked about the reaction of opposition figures, including ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, to his relationship with Adeleke.
Wike said he was not concerned about how his political opponents felt about the emerging alliances.
> “I don’t want them to feel well. It is not my wish that they should feel well. My business is to make them not feel well all day, because they will be having high blood pressure. I guess that is my job,” he said.
He added that political contests were about defeating opponents and that he intended to intensify the political pressure on opposition groups ahead of the 2027 election.
> “I will add more crises for them. So, that’s my position,” Wike stated.
Wike Inspects Abuja Golf Club Rehabilitation
During the outing, Wike also inspected the ongoing rehabilitation of the IBB International Golf Club, which is being renovated following intervention by President Tinubu.
He said the President had directed that the facility should be completed and reopened by December, noting that members of the diplomatic community had been affected by its prolonged closure.
Wike said Julius Berger was brought back to handle the renovation because the company originally constructed the facility and was familiar with its design and standards.
According to him, physical work is expected to be completed by November, paving the way for the club’s official reopening in December.
He also explained that the golf club had been closed because of an internal leadership dispute, which resulted in the appointment of a caretaker committee headed by the President of the Court of Appeal.
Wike praised the committee for helping resolve the crisis and facilitating the rehabilitation of the facility.
However, he warned that the government would not continue funding the club after its reopening, stressing that its management must generate enough revenue to cover its operations and maintenance.
