The younger brother of former Ekiti state governor, Ayodele Fayose, has reacted to the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike's declaration that he would resign from office if President Bola Tinubu fails to win the Federal Capital Territory and Rivers State in the 2027 presidential election. Fayose has challenged Wike to prepare for life outside government.
Wike made the declaration on Wednesday while addressing the leadership and members of the Apo Mechanics and Traders Association in Abuja. The minister said he would submit his resignation letter on January 17, a day after the January 16, 2027 presidential election, if Tinubu loses the FCT. This declaration has generated reactions on social media, with some users alleging that the statement suggested an intention to influence the outcome of the election.
Fayose, in a post on his Facebook page on Thursday, said Tinubu would lose both the FCT and Rivers State to Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, if the election is conducted freely and fairly. He argued that Obi, who won the FCT in the 2023 presidential election, would increase his support in the territory in 2027. Fayose also dismissed Wike's confidence in Tinubu's chances in Rivers State.
Fayose further stated that Abuja and Rivers State would favour Obi, saying "Wike, I'm telling you that Abuja is Obi. We won the last time, and this time, we will win more. APC will not get 25 percent in Abuja. Rivers State is also Obi. You are not going anywhere. Tinubu is tired; he needs to be retired so that Nigeria can move forward."
Meanwhile, the APC governorship candidate in Ogun State, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, has expressed confidence that the party will face no serious opposition in the 2027 governorship election. Adeola made the claim at an APC Interfaith Prayer and Praise Concert held at the Ake Palace Ground in Abeokuta, the state capital.
Adeola predicted that the APC would secure victory in the presidential, governorship and National Assembly elections in the state, describing opposition parties in the state as "partyless" and grappling with internal challenges. Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state also spoke at the event, saying the gathering was aimed at seeking divine guidance and committing the party's political activities ahead of the 2027 elections to God.
Abiodun recalled the challenges surrounding his political journey during the 2019 governorship election, describing his emergence as governor as a testimony of divine intervention. The governor expressed confidence that the same divine intervention would guide the state through another transition.
Key points
- Isaac Fayose challenges Nyesom Wike to prepare for life outside government.
- Fayose predicts that Peter Obi will win the FCT and Rivers State in the 2027 presidential election.
- APC's Solomon Olamilekan Adeola expresses confidence in party's victory in Ogun State elections.
