Isaac Fayose, younger brother of former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, has challenged the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to prepare for life outside government, predicting that President Bola Tinubu will lose both the FCT and Rivers State in the 2027 presidential election.
Fayose was reacting to Wike’s recent declaration that he would resign from the Federal Executive Council if Tinubu fails to secure victory in the FCT and Rivers State at the election.
Wike made the declaration on Wednesday while addressing the leadership and members of the Apo Mechanics and Traders Association in Abuja.
The FCT Minister reportedly said he would submit his resignation letter on January 17, 2027, a day after the presidential election scheduled for January 16, if Tinubu loses the FCT.
The declaration has since generated reactions on social media, with some commentators suggesting that Wike’s statement could be interpreted as an indication of an intention to influence the outcome of the election. No evidence was provided to substantiate such claims.
However, in a Facebook post on Thursday, Fayose said Tinubu would lose both the FCT and Rivers State to Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), if the election is conducted freely and fairly.
He argued that Obi, who won the FCT in the 2023 presidential election, would strengthen his support in the territory in 2027.
Fayose also dismissed Wike’s confidence in Tinubu’s prospects in Rivers State, insisting that the state would equally favour Obi.
“Wike, I’m telling you that Abuja is Obi. We won the last time, and this time, we will win more. APC will not get 25 per cent in Abuja,” he said.
He added: “Rivers State is also Obi. You are not going anywhere. Tinubu is tired; he needs to be retired so that Nigeria can move forward.”
Fayose urged voters to reject any attempt to manipulate the election, saying the outcome should reflect the will of the electorate.
He further alleged that some individuals were supporting Tinubu’s continued stay in office for personal interests, adding that “it is time to take our country back”.
Meanwhile, the APC governorship candidate in Ogun State, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, has expressed confidence that the party will face little or no serious opposition in the 2027 governorship election.
Adeola spoke at an APC Interfaith Prayer and Praise Concert held at the Ake Palace Ground in Abeokuta, the state capital.
The senator attributed his confidence to what he described as internal challenges confronting opposition parties in the state, referring to them as “partyless”.
He predicted victory for the APC in the presidential, governorship and National Assembly elections in Ogun State.
“There will be nobody, because they are all partyless. They are running helter-skelter to rectify their shortcomings, but God has spoken that He is going to give us victory without a fight,” Adeola said.
He expressed confidence that Tinubu would win the presidential election on January 16, 2027, followed by his own emergence as the next governor of Ogun State in the governorship election scheduled for February 6.
“That same God that will give us victory on January 16 will also support me to become the 17th Executive Governor of Ogun State,” he said.
Adeola also predicted victory for APC candidates seeking election to the National Assembly from Ogun State and urged party members to remain committed to the party’s activities.
Governor Dapo Abiodun, who also addressed the gathering, said the event was organised to seek divine guidance and commit the APC’s political activities ahead of the 2027 elections to God.
Abiodun recalled the difficulties surrounding his political journey during the 2019 governorship election, describing his eventual emergence as governor as a testimony of divine intervention.
“We have gathered here to seek the Almighty’s face and commit our journey of 2027 into His hands,” the governor said.
He expressed confidence that the prayers offered at the gathering would contribute to the party’s success at the polls.
Recalling the circumstances surrounding the 2019 election, Abiodun said the political environment at the time had been difficult.
“I recall how the journey was in 2018. When we started, it was not like this at all; it was tough. But God has used me as a testimony,” he said.
He added that he believed the same divine intervention would guide Ogun State through another transition of power.
“The God of 2018 is still around, and He will continue to allow us to embark on a smooth transition from a sitting governor to the incoming governor,” Abiodun said.
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