The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that he is certain Peter Obi is not a threat to Tinubu while reacting to predictions about the next presidential election.
Wike’s remark comes in response to former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, who recently stated on national television that President Tinubu would come third in the 2027 polls.
El-Rufai had said, “Tinubu will be third in the 2027 election. I have done my maths, and I can tell you Tinubu has no pathway to win. The worst-case scenario is that there will not be any winner in the first ballot.”
But Wike dismissed the projection, maintaining that Tinubu’s political strength remains intact and that opposition figures like Peter Obi pose no real threat to his re-election bid.
Reacting during a media chat in Abuja, Wike dismissed El-Rufai’s calculations as fundamentally flawed.
He expressed confidence in Tinubu’s re-election prospects, stating his willingness to “bet” on the incumbent’s victory in the 2027 presidential poll.
“I can place a bet with confidence that President Bola Tinubu will win the 2027 presidential election,” the FCT minister stated.
Wike further dismissed El-Rufai’s projection, saying, “I heard someone claim Mr President will come third in 2027. I don’t know the maths he used. But my concern is, if he (Tinubu) comes third, then who will come first and second?”
He argued that the political landscape has changed considerably since the 2023 elections, reducing possible threats to the president’s re-election bid.
Wike also downplayed the influence of Labour Party candidate Peter Obi, who polled over six million votes in the last election.
“Let me tell you, in 2027, Peter Obi will not be a threat to President Tinubu. I know what I am saying. Peter Obi had over six million votes in 2023, but the political dynamics will be different in 2027,” Wike said.