Wike Takes Fresh Swipe At Peter Obi Ahead Of 2027 Election

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed claims that Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), enjoys widespread popularity ahead of the 2027 general election.

According to Bush Radio Academy, Wike made the remark on Wednesday during a media chat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where he argued that public chants and attention around Obi should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of broad electoral support.

Wike said Obi may attract significant attention whenever his supporters chant his name at public events, but maintained that such displays do not necessarily reflect his popularity among the wider electorate.

“To Obi, he is very popular each time people shout Obi-Obi. After the NBA Conference, where they shouted his name, I’m sure he went home satisfied. But in the real sense, he is not popular,” Wike said.

The FCT minister also discussed the 2027 presidential contest involving President Bola Tinubu and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

Wike warned that Atiku could face strong resistance in the southern region if Tinubu encounters difficulties securing support in northern Nigeria ahead of the election.

He referenced the strategy adopted by the G5 governors during the 2023 presidential election, when the group opposed Atiku’s candidacy and worked to limit his influence in parts of the South.

According to Wike, the group was aware that Atiku was Tinubu’s major challenger at the time and deliberately sought to strengthen the position of other candidates in the South.

“If Tinubu has problem in the North, Atiku will have in the South. This was the G5 governors’ strategy in 2023,” he said.

Wike explained that the G5 governors had considered supporting Obi in states including Benue, Cross River and Oyo as part of their strategy to prevent Atiku from gaining an advantage in the region.

“We knew the man contesting against Tinubu in 2023 was Atiku. We wanted then Benue State governor to support Obi. We also told Cross River to support Obi and Oyo to support him. This was done to defeat Atiku,” he added.