- FCT Minister Nyesom Wike told journalists in Abuja that his goal is to make opposition figures uncomfortable before the 2027 elections
- Wike dismissed claims that Osun Governor-elect Adeleke’s re-election win strengthened the opposition, saying Adeleke belongs to the Tinubu camp
- The minister said a broader Rainbow Coalition backing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would become visible within weeks
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
FCT, Abuja – Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has said his mission ahead of the 2027 elections is to ensure that opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi, remain politically unsettled and under pressure.
Wike made the remarks on Friday, August 21, 2026, in Abuja while speaking to journalists during an inspection of ongoing infrastructure projects across the territory.
Source: Twitter
Asked whether he was bothered by how opposition leaders felt about his recent political engagements, Wike was blunt:
“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 — to make them have high blood pressure.”
Wike dismisses opposition as fragmented
The minister insisted there is currently no credible, organised opposition in Nigeria, saying internal divisions within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had left the political landscape without a clear frontrunner to challenge President Bola Tinubu.
“Who is the opposition leader now? Obviously, it would have been PDP, but because of the crisis we have had, you can’t see a formidable party that you will call the leading opposition party,” he said.
Wike also pushed back against suggestions that Osun State Governor-elect Ademola Adeleke’s recent re-election on the Accord Party platform represented a boost for opposition forces. He argued that Adeleke, whom he described as a PDP member at heart, had since aligned himself fully with the President.
“Sorry, Adeleke belongs to us, and we all belong to Mr President,” Wike said, adding that a meeting held the previous night was aimed at reviewing and strengthening what he called a “Rainbow Coalition” backing Tinubu across party lines.
He predicted that the 2027 presidential election would effectively be over before it began, saying more political figures would publicly join the coalition in the coming weeks.
Wike gives update on golf club
Separately, Wike used Friday’s inspection to provide an update on the rehabilitation of the IBB International Golf Club, which has been closed following an internal leadership dispute. He said Julius Berger had been re-engaged for the renovation work given the company’s original role in constructing the facility.
Wike said President Tinubu had directed that the club be reopened by December, with physical completion expected by November. He noted that the club’s closure had drawn complaints from members of the diplomatic community who used it regularly.
The minister made clear, however, that government funding would end once the club reopened, saying management would be expected to generate its own revenue to cover running costs going forward.
Watch Wike speak about his support for President Tinubu in the X video below:
Read more on Wike
Wike reacts to Fubara’s defection to APC
Legit.ng earlier reported that Wike said Fubara did not require his clearance to join the ruling APC.
Speaking during a now-trending media chat in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, Wike described his successor’s move as natural, following earlier defections by members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and council chairmen.
Source: Legit.ng