The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said he has no regrets about working with members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to defeat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2024 Edo State governorship election.
Wike said the collaboration was intended to stop former Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, from installing a successor, adding that his decision was not based on the competence of the PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo.
He made the disclosure on Monday in Abuja at a stakeholders’ meeting of the Rainbow Coalition, a political platform he is promoting to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
According to Wike, an alliance between the PDP and APC contributed significantly to the victory of the APC candidate, Monday Okpebholo, in the Edo governorship election.
“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.
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“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.
Recall Okpebholo won the September 21, 2024 governorship election with 291,667 votes, defeating Ighodalo, who polled 247,274 votes. The Labour Party candidate, Olumide Akpata, finished third with 22,763 votes, according to results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Explaining his opposition to Ighodalo, Wike said he considered the PDP candidate qualified for the position but was unwilling to support an arrangement that would allow Obaseki to retain political influence through his successor.
The minister disclosed that Ighodalo visited his residence more than three times to seek his support but was turned down.
“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,” Wike said.
He also argued that political coalitions were not new to Nigeria, maintaining that alliances between politicians from different parties had influenced electoral outcomes over the years.
“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 remarks come amid controversy over the Rainbow Coalition, which he has promoted as a platform to rally support for Tinubu’s re-election bid while allowing politicians to retain membership of their respective parties.
The FCT minister has maintained that the coalition is focused on the 2027 presidential election and operates separately from the APC.
However, some APC governors and party officials have expressed opposition to the arrangement, warning that political alliances outside the party’s formal structure could undermine its candidates in the 2027 general election.
Wike remains a member of the PDP while serving in the APC-led Federal Government as FCT minister. His support for Tinubu has continued to put him at odds with some members of his party over the opposition’s political direction ahead of the 2027 elections.