2027: Opposition coalitions bound to fail, says Wike

… FCT Minister dismisses Atiku, Amaechi’s presidential ambitions, terms alliance ‘born-dead’ …in politics, it is not my duty to strengthen my opponent; ruling party will exploit opposition’s loopholes …traces PDP’s disintegration to selfish interests, says APC administration remains unshakeable ahead of 2027 …berates biased critics, religious leaders for consistent anti-government rhetoric The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has launched an attack on leading opposition figures ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Wike declared that ongoing coalition moves involving former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi are dead on arrival. Speaking on Tuesday during his monthly media chat in Abuja, monitored by our correspondent, the minister insisted that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) under President Bola Tinubu is strategically positioned to retain power, emphasising that no amount of political gang-up by those he described as “displaced politicians” can derail the current administration. Reacting to recent realignments and coalition talks within platforms such as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and factions of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Wike stated that the opposition’s political calculations fail to account for their self-inflicted structural weaknesses. Refuting assertions from critics and elder statesmen, including Catholic Archbishop Emeritus John Cardinal Onaiyekan, that the Tinubu administration is deliberately crushing the opposition, Wike maintained that political contests are inherently ruthless and driven by strategic survival. “In politics, it is not my duty to strengthen my opponent,” Wike asserted. He said, “In politics, we are struggling for power. And if I see that my opponent has some weaknesses or loopholes, it’s not for me to go and help them to be strong. If I have anything to make them weaker, yes!” The Minister argued that political parties must learn to manage their internal contradictions rather than expecting the ruling government to show them sympathy. “When the ruling party finds out that you have those kinds of loopholes, what will be their prayer?” Wike asked. “Their prayer will be, ‘May you not resolve the crisis! May you not resolve the crisis. That is basic political strategy.'” Related News FCTA to relocate Apo mechanic traders before December – Wike 2027: Wike tackles Peter Obi, accuses him of political opportunism Wike: Tinubu only candidate who can win Rivers in 2027 Tracing the decline of the main opposition party, Wike expressed regret that the PDP, once the most formidable political machine in Africa, was dismantled by leaders driven by personal ambition rather than institutional growth. The minister said, “PDP ought to be the most formidable opposition party.” “But because of selfish interests and people who don’t understand that you need to shelve your personal interests and work for the party to be stronger and to challenge the ruling party, the party entered a crisis. That crisis has crippled the party, with court cases today, tomorrow, and the rest”. Recalling his own experience during the 2017 PDP leadership tussle, Wike highlighted how ruling parties historically take advantage of internal party strife: He said, “In 2017, PDP had a problem. We saw that the ruling party, APC then, wanted to destroy PDP by imposing a national chairman on us. We saw it clearly. People like us came out to say, ‘No, we will not accept this, and we are going to fight it.’ We went to the Federal High Court and won, but the DG DSS locked the office, saying there was an appeal. We knew the interest of the ruling party was to weaken us, to give us a national chairman who would prevent the party from moving forward.” Wike noted that current political actors like Atiku and Amaechi are repeating the same mistakes of the past without building a genuine ground-level structure. “If Amaechi or anyone thinks they can just gather under a new umbrella without addressing their foundational flaws, it is a set-up for failure,” Wike stated, adding that voters are too discerning to be misled by politicians who unite only when they are hungry for power. Read Also: Wike questions Onaiyekan’s neutrality, says Cardinal took sides in 2023 election Turning his attention to religious leaders and public commentators who regularly attack the federal government’s economic and political policies, Wike advised them to maintain neutrality or risk losing moral authority. Specifically addressing comments made by Cardinal Onaiyekan regarding the 2023 elections and government performance, the FCT Minister insisted that leaders must be fair in their assessments. Wike clarified, “I am not against comments about government. If comments are not made, government may not know where to focus. But when comments from a particular section are consistently one-sided, government becomes very careful. If a religious leader is perceived as taking a very clear side, it becomes difficult for people to see those comments as impartial”. He continued, “Nobody has heard you say one day, ‘Government has done this well.’ As a leader, commend government when they have done well in some areas, and criticise where you think they should look into other areas. But when your comments every day contain nothing positive, government must be worried. Government will begin to think that you are merely criticising because you are opposed to them.” Wike emphasised that while the opposition engages in media talk and fragile coalition arrangements, the Tinubu administration is focusing on concrete deliverables that will secure its victory in 2027. He said, “You can assemble all the presidential aspirants you want in one room, but without structure, without unity, and without a track record of performance, you cannot beat an incumbent administration that is delivering results. 2027 will be decided by achievements, not political noise.” --> --> TAGS: FCT