The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has acknowledged collaborating with members of the All Progressives Congress to defeat the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2024 Edo State governorship election, insisting that he has no regrets about the move.
Wike explained that the alliance was formed to stop former Governor Godwin Obaseki from determining his successor, despite Wike’s membership of the PDP and the qualifications of the party’s candidate, Asue Ighodalo.
He made the disclosure on Monday in Abuja during a stakeholders’ meeting of the Rainbow Coalition, a multiparty political platform linked to his efforts to rally support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
“Let me say this for people to know. A lot of people deny obvious facts. 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.
“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,” he said.
The APC candidate, Monday Okpebholo, won the September 21, 2024 governorship election with 291,667 votes, defeating Ighodalo, who secured 247,274 votes. Labour Party candidate Olumide Akpata finished third with 22,763 votes, according to results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Wike clarified that his decision to oppose Ighodalo was not based on doubts about the candidate’s qualifications. Rather, he said he saw the election as an opportunity to prevent Obaseki from maintaining his political influence through a successor.
He described Ighodalo as a credible candidate and recalled that the PDP flag bearer visited his residence several times to seek his support.
“He came to my house more than three times. I said, listen, you’re a good candidate. But for this election, I’m sorry.
“This election is between us and the man who is bringing you, Governor Obaseki, an ingrate person, ungrateful person. So returning you is like bringing him back. So I’m sorry. You have to fail. And he failed,” he said.
The FCT minister argued that political alliances across party lines were not unusual in Nigeria, noting that such arrangements had long influenced election outcomes.
“So when people say that nothing like coalition, they tell lies. The truth of the matter is that it has been there depending on how it is worked out.
“So the governor today, Senator Okpebholo, we know sincerely that it was that coalition. Senator Adams Oshiomhole can also attest that it was that coalition that made us to defeat the PDP, even though I’m a member of PDP. But for that purpose, I said I would not support the incumbent governor to produce a successor,” he said.
Wike’s comments come amid ongoing discussions about the Rainbow Coalition, which he has presented as a platform for mobilising support for Tinubu’s second-term ambition while allowing participants to remain members of their respective political parties.
The minister has maintained that the coalition is specifically focused on the presidential election and operates separately from the APC.
However, some APC governors and party officials have criticised the arrangement, expressing concerns that political alliances operating outside the party’s formal structure could weaken its candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.
Wike remains a member of the PDP despite serving in the APC-led Federal Government as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
His support for Tinubu has repeatedly put him at odds with some members of his party, particularly over the opposition’s political strategy ahead of the next general election.
Newsmen report that during Monday’s meeting, Wike also announced himself as the coordinator of Tinubu’s re-election campaign in the FCT and Rivers State.
PDP and APC stakeholders at the gathering reportedly agreed to work together to secure Tinubu’s second term and support APC candidates contesting the FCT senatorial and House of Representatives seats.
