Tinubu Allowed Adeleke Win, I’d Have Delivered Victory For APC – Wike Claims

• FCT Minister Nyesom Wike says President Bola Tinubu allowed Governor Ademola Adeleke to win the August 15 Osun governorship election, insisting the result was not a defeat for the Federal Government.

• Wike says if Tinubu had wanted the APC to win “at all costs,” he would have been involved in the process and could have delivered a different outcome.

• The minister dismisses claims of “federal might”, citing his own experience of confronting federal power during previous elections and insisting that the Osun poll was allowed to run freely.

• Wike says the Osun result should not be interpreted as a defeat for Tinubu or proof of a growing opposition ahead of 2027, describing the opposition as “crippled” and “depleted.”

August 18, () — The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has made a striking claim about the outcome of the recent Osun State governorship election, saying Governor Ademola Adeleke won because President Bola Tinubu allowed the election to remain free and fair.

Wike went further, declaring that if the President had been determined to secure victory for the All Progressives Congress (APC) “at all costs”, the outcome would have been different because he, as a member of the Federal Government, would have been involved in the effort.

The minister made the comments on Tuesday while speaking to journalists after inspecting areas affected by flooding in the FCT.

His comments came amid political arguments over whether Adeleke’s victory represented a setback for Tinubu and the APC ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Wike rejected that interpretation, saying the Osun election should not be viewed as a contest between Adeleke and the Federal Government.

He argued that political parties were expected to compete for votes, but that the Federal Government did not deploy its machinery to prevent the opposition candidate from winning.

‘If Tinubu Wanted To Win At All Costs, I Would Have Been There’

Wike’s most provocative argument was that the President could have deployed federal influence to secure the APC’s victory if he had chosen to do so.

“I’m part of the Federal Government. I’m sure that if the President wanted to win Osun at all costs, I would be involved, and I would have been there, and the governor would have known that it would have been different”, Wike said.

Wike said Adeleke’s victory was therefore not evidence that the President had been defeated politically. He also pointed to Tinubu’s decision to congratulate Adeleke after the election as further evidence that the Federal Government accepted the electorate’s verdict.

“The President called him… congratulating him (Adeleke). What does it tell you? If Tinubu did not allow a free and fair election, would they have won? No!”

Tinubu did, in fact, congratulate Adeleke after the Independent National Electoral Commission declared him the winner, describing the outcome as reflecting the will of the people and commending the electoral process.

Wike Rejects ‘Federal Might’ Claims

The former Rivers State governor also dismissed allegations that federal power was deployed to manipulate the election.

Wike said political commentators should distinguish between unsubstantiated claims and the realities of political contests.

Drawing from his own experience, he said he knew what the deployment of federal might looked like.

“When you say force of the federal government… ask those who have survived it, though—people like me who survived federal might. It’s not by saying ‘they say, they say.’ It’s not true”, he said.

Forget 2027, It’s Over! — Wike Declares Opposition Crippled, Depleted, Says Tinubu Can Crush Rivals With Ease

We Stopped APC From Reclaiming Osun — ADC Reveals Opposition Alliance Behind Adeleke’s Victory

Wike’s reference to his own experience was a clear reminder of his long-running political battles, particularly the controversies surrounding the 2019 Rivers State governorship election.

He argued that what happened in Osun was fundamentally different. According to him, if federal might had been deployed against Adeleke, the incumbent governor would have known that the election was going to be a different contest.

The FCT Minister warned political observers against using the Osun result as a template for the 2027 presidential election.

According to him, governorship elections are heavily influenced by local factors, personalities, political structures and state-specific issues, while presidential elections require nationwide organisation and a much broader coalition.

“Governorship election is different from presidential election. You must know that. Governorship elections are local factors, local variables. National election is a different ball game”, Wike said.

He, therefore, rejected suggestions that Adeleke’s victory demonstrated that the opposition had gained the momentum required to defeat Tinubu in 2027.