Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, says his political camp has already developed a strategy for the 2027 general elections, but he has declined to reveal the details.
Wike made the disclosure in Abuja on Wednesday while speaking with journalists after inspecting several ongoing infrastructure projects across the Federal Capital Territory. (Authority NGR)
The minister also revisited the controversial political calculations made by the Peoples Democratic Party’s G5 governors during the 2023 presidential election.
According to Wike, the group considered former Vice President Atiku Abubakar a greater political threat than Peter Obi at the time because of the strength of the PDP in the South-South.
He said the strategy involved encouraging voters in some areas to support Obi in order to reduce the votes that could have gone to Atiku.
“Our strategy was that, listen, you vote, make sure that you vote for Obi to win, in order to deny Atiku the votes,” Wike said. (Punch Newspapers)
Wike argued that the South-South had traditionally been an important PDP base and that stronger support for Atiku from the region would have increased his presidential votes.
He rejected claims that the strategy amounted to rigging the 2023 election, insisting that political parties and their supporters were entitled to pursue electoral strategies.
The minister also questioned claims that Obi had won Rivers State in 2023, saying those who made such claims did not present the necessary evidence at the election tribunal. (Voice of Nigeria)
Wike further said political calculations for the 2027 election were already underway but that his camp would not disclose its plans publicly.
“We have our strategy in this election, and whether you like it or not, it’s not for us to let the cat out of the bag,” he said. (Naija News)
He also maintained that political popularity should be judged by actual electoral results rather than social media activity, arguing that online trends do not necessarily translate into votes at polling units.
Meanwhile, Wike gave updates on several FCT projects inspected during the tour.
He said the Kaura district road and bridges were expected to be handed over by December 15, while the Life Camp collector road and its link to the old Keffi Road were also expected to be completed in December.
For Arterial Road N16 in Gwarinpa, the contractor reportedly gave an assurance that the project would be completed in the first week of January.
Wike also said efforts were ongoing to resolve the dispute that led to the closure of the IBB Golf Course, with the facility expected to reopen ahead of a scheduled tournament.
On the FCT budget, the minister said implementation of the 2026 capital budget had reached at least 60 per cent, despite delays in the release of funds.
He added that the administration remained focused on completing major infrastructure projects across Abuja.
