Wike Admits He’ll Be First Target if Atiku or Obi Beats Tinubu in 2027, Vows Never to Back Down

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that he expects to face immediate political retaliation and become the number one casualty should President Bola Ahmed Tinubu lose the 2027 presidential election to opposition leaders Atiku Abubakar or Peter Obi.

Addressing journalists during a media chat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the outspoken minister acknowledged the steep political stakes attached to his open, high-octane backing of the current administration. Wike stated that his unapologetic loyalty to President Tinubu has turned him into a marked man in the crosshairs of rival political camps.

According to the former Rivers State governor, he is fully prepared for whatever consequences may follow if power changes hands, declaring that he knows the opposition will waste no time in coming after him. Rather than retreating into political caution, Wike maintained that the threat of reprisal has only reinforced his determination to deliver a decisive victory for the President, noting that working toward Tinubu’s return to office consumes his thoughts around the clock.

Wike’s position remains one of the most unusual dynamics in contemporary Nigerian politics. While holding onto his membership in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he serves at the heart of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) cabinet, a stance that continues to generate friction within the PDP and across emerging coalition fronts. Addressing the barrage of public criticism and accusations of anti-party activity, Wike dismissed his detractors, arguing that no public figure in recent times has been subjected to as much name-calling, yet none of the attacks will shake his resolve.

Delving into previous political power plays, the FCT minister reflected on the 2023 general elections, explaining that the G5 governors deliberately allowed Peter Obi to gain ground in the South-East as a counter-strategy to blunt Atiku’s electoral spread.

Wike warned that the political terrain ahead of 2027 will test everyone’s endurance, but affirmed that his loyalty to Tinubu is absolute, insisting that he will remain at the forefront of the campaign battlefield regardless of the personal cost.