Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, disclosed that all of his children backed Peter Obi’s 2023 presidential campaign, despite his claims that the political circumstances that drove that support are no longer present in advance of the 2027 election.
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The former governor of Rivers State stated in a TVC News interview on Monday that the controversy surrounding the All Progressives Congress’ Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket, which paired Muslims Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima, was the main reason why his children, like many other Nigerians, were drawn to Obi’s Labour Party candidature. Wike stated, “There was this campaign about Christianity, and his kids were swept up in that wave of support.”
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Wike contended that a large portion of the backlash that influenced voting behaviour in 2023 has since been diffused by President Tinubu’s government. He stated, “Tinubu has been able to kill the Muslim-Muslim ticket problem,” implying that the religious-ticket worry that previously benefited Obi is no longer a consideration going into 2027.
The minister made these comments while reiterating his assertions that the political landscape of 2023 had changed. Wike discussed the G5’s position in the same interview. The G5 is a group of PDP governors, including himself, who split from Atiku Abubakar, the party’s 2023 presidential contender.
Wike, who now serves in Tinubu’s cabinet while remaining a chieftain of the opposition PDP, went on to dismiss Obi’s chances in 2027. Obi, who has since left the Labour Party for the Nigeria Democratic Congress, no longer commands the same coalition of support he built in 2023, Wike argued, insisting that election outcomes should be judged by official results rather than social media sentiment or crowd turnout.
His comments come amid intensifying political realignment ahead of 2027, with Obi continuing to court supporters under his new party while Wike positions himself as a vocal skeptic of Obi’s re-election prospects.
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