Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed the chances of opposition parties defeating President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Wike made the remarks on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, during a press conference in Abuja, where he described the opposition as too weak and divided to pose a serious threat to Tinubu’s re-election bid.
According to the minister, opposition parties should focus on rebuilding themselves after the 2027 election because, in his view, they currently lack the strength required to defeat the incumbent president.
“Try, they know that the only thing they can do now is to start crying, but if it’s to win the election, no, they can’t win,” Wike said.
He further declared that the opposition should forget about defeating Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
“Maybe after now they can start planning and putting their house in order, but if it’s this 2027 election against Tinubu, no, forget it, it’s over,” he stated.
Wike also questioned the electoral strength of some opposition parties, arguing that their performances at the state level did not suggest that they could defeat the ruling party in a nationwide contest.
“While the winning man will be scoring over 500,000 votes, the second person scored over 400,000; the third person will be scoring 17,000? A party of the former governor? Then when it gets to the national election, that is where the party will win?” he asked.
The FCT minister also described the current opposition as a “depleted opposition,” claiming that he had contributed to weakening it.
“Don’t be talking about opposition; say depleted opposition, which I’m one of those that depleted them,” Wike said.
His comments come as opposition politicians and political groups continue efforts to build a broader alliance ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with discussions centred on presenting a strong alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The 2027 contest is expected to be closely watched as political parties begin positioning themselves and negotiating possible alliances ahead of the election.
