FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has declared that his mission ahead of the 2027 general elections is to ensure opposition leaders, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, remain politically unsettled and under constant pressure. Speaking to journalists on Friday, August 21, 2026, during an inspection of ongoing infrastructure projects in Abuja, Wike was unequivocal about his intentions.
When asked whether he was concerned about how opposition figures perceived his recent political engagements, Wike responded bluntly: "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 and Leaderless
The minister insisted that Nigeria currently lacks a credible, organised opposition. He attributed this to internal divisions within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which he said had left the political landscape without a clear frontrunner capable of challenging President Bola Ahmed 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," Wike said.
He 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. Wike argued that Adeleke, whom he described as a PDP member at heart, had since aligned himself fully with the President.
Adeleke Belongs to Tinubu's Camp, Says Wike
"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. The minister's comments come amid ongoing realignments in the Nigerian political space, with several prominent politicians shifting allegiances ahead of the next electoral cycle.
Wike Provides Update on IBB International 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. This move is seen as part of broader efforts to reduce government expenditure on non-essential facilities.
In related developments, Legit.ng earlier reported that Wike said his successor, Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, did not require his clearance to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Speaking during a trending media chat in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, Wike described Fubara's move as natural, following earlier defections by members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and council chairmen.
