Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has admitted collaborating with members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to defeat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the September 2024 Edo State governorship election, insisting that he has no regrets about his decision.
Wike made the revelation on Monday in Abuja during a stakeholders’ meeting of the Rainbow Coalition, a cross-party political platform associated with efforts to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027. He explained that the alliance was formed to prevent former Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki from determining his successor, despite Wike’s membership of the PDP and the party’s choice of candidate, Asue Ighodalo.
“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,” Wike said.
He acknowledged playing a role in the arrangement, adding that his decision was deliberate and that he stood by it.
“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 added.
The APC candidate, Monday Okpebholo, won the September 21, 2024 governorship election with 291,667 votes, defeating PDP candidate Ighodalo, who secured 247,274 votes. Labour Party candidate Olumide Akpata finished third with 22,763 votes, according to results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Wike clarified that his opposition to Ighodalo was not based on the candidate’s qualifications. Instead, he said he wanted to prevent Obaseki from maintaining political influence in the state by installing a successor.
The FCT minister described Ighodalo as a good candidate and disclosed that he had visited his residence several times to seek his support. However, he said he made it clear that he would not back him in that particular election because of his association with the outgoing governor.
“He came to my house more than three times. I said, listen, you’re a good candidate. But for this election, I’m sorry,” Wike said.
He explained that his opposition was directed at Obaseki, whom he accused of ingratitude, arguing that electing Ighodalo would effectively allow the former governor to retain power through his successor.
“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 stated.
Wike also rejected suggestions that political coalitions were unfamiliar in Nigeria, arguing that alliances between politicians from different parties had long influenced electoral 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,” he said.
He maintained that the collaboration with APC members was instrumental in Okpebholo’s victory, adding that former Edo State Governor and senator Adams Oshiomhole could also attest to the alliance’s role in defeating the PDP.
Wike’s comments come amid growing debate over the Rainbow Coalition, which he has promoted as a platform for bringing politicians from different parties together to support Tinubu’s expected re-election bid in 2027.
The minister has insisted that the coalition is focused on the presidential election and operates separately from the APC, allowing politicians to retain membership of their existing parties while supporting Tinubu.
However, some APC governors and party officials have criticised the arrangement, arguing that political alliances operating outside the party’s formal structure could weaken its candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Wike remains a member of the PDP despite serving in the APC-led Federal Government as FCT minister. His support for Tinubu has repeatedly put him at odds with some members of his party, particularly over the opposition’s political direction ahead of the next election.
At Monday’s meeting, Wike also declared himself the coordinator of Tinubu’s re-election campaign in the FCT and Rivers State. PDP and APC stakeholders who attended the gathering agreed to work together to support Tinubu’s second-term bid and back APC candidates contesting the FCT senatorial and House of Representatives seats.
