FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has openly admitted that he worked against Asue Ighodalo, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the September 2024 Edo State governorship election. The former Rivers State governor said he has no regrets about the decision to oppose Ighodalo, despite acknowledging him as a capable candidate.
Wike admits role in Edo election outcome
According to a report by Daily Trust, Wike made the admission at a stakeholders' meeting of the rainbow coalition in Abuja. He argued that political alliances had shaped key electoral outcomes across Nigeria. The minister explained that a coalition of PDP and All Progressives Congress (APC) figures worked together to ensure that former Edo governor Godwin Obaseki could not install a political successor of his choice.
APC candidate Monday Okpebholo went on to defeat Ighodalo in the poll, ending Obaseki's influence over the state's political direction. Wike, a PDP member who serves in President Bola Tinubu's administration, said the result showed how political actors could cooperate across party lines when they shared a common goal.
Wike's coalition admission and justification
"In the last election that took place in Edo State, the victory was as a result of the coalition between the legacy of PDP and the APC," Wike said. "We had to work together to make sure that the former governor, Governor Obaseki, did not produce his successor. And that is the truth. I was behind it, and I don't have any regrets about it."
The minister added that both Okpebholo and Senator Adams Oshiomhole, the former Edo governor who represents Edo North, could confirm the role the alliance played. "Senator Adams Oshiomhole will also attest to the fact that it was that coalition that helped us defeat the PDP, even though I'm a member of it," he said.
Why Wike refused to back Ighodalo
Wike said his opposition to Ighodalo was not personal. He described the former bank managing director as a capable candidate and revealed that Ighodalo visited his residence more than three times to seek his backing before the election. Despite those meetings, Wike said he refused to offer support because backing Ighodalo would, in his view, effectively return Obaseki to power through a proxy.
"He came to my house more than three times. I said, 'Listen, you're a good candidate, but for this election, I'm sorry, because this election is between us and the man who is bringing you, called Obaseki, an ungrateful person, so returning you is like bringing him back, so I'm sorry. You have to fail,' and he failed," Wike said.
The minister insisted the Edo contest was proof that political coalitions remain a powerful force in Nigerian elections, regardless of formal party membership. He argued that political rivals can set aside their differences when they share a common goal, and the outcome of the 2024 Edo governorship election stands as a concrete example of this dynamic.
