Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has projected a victory for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the upcoming Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections scheduled for next month, citing the influence of FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE News Channel’s breakfast programme on Tuesday, Fayose said Wike’s political clout and record in office would play a decisive role in the polls, adding that a similar dynamic, in his view, contributed to the outcome of the recent local government elections in Rivers State.
“The local government elections in Rivers, APC won them courtesy of Wike. The local government elections coming in Abuja, APC will still win it,” Fayose said.
According to the former governor, Wike remains a dominant political figure whose relevance transcends party lines, stressing that Nigeria would continue to “need” him in the political space.
“Nigeria will know. We will not get rid of a Wike for a Fubara. He is 100 per cent a gift at this stage of his life,” Fayose remarked, in apparent reference to the political crisis in Rivers State involving the minister’s erstwhile political godson, Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
He further argued that Wike’s political value would endure even after his tenure as FCT minister, describing him as someone who has “done well for himself” and would remain influential.
“Even when he is no more Minister of FCT, Wike is a man that has done well for himself in the political space. You will always need Wike,” Fayose said.
The former Ekiti governor also praised Wike’s performance in Abuja, noting that the minister has effectively aligned himself with President Bola Tinubu’s administration and its ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda.
“Today, you can’t take Wike from Rivers to give support to President Tinubu. Wike is in Abuja performing. We never had it so good in Abuja. Even a blind man can’t deny that,” he said.
Fayose added that it is historically difficult for ruling parties to win elections in the FCT, but maintained that with Wike’s presence that narrative could change in the upcoming FCT Area Council polls slated for February.
“A lot of people know that governments in power don’t often win in Abuja. But like I said, the local government elections in Rivers, APC won them courtesy of Wike. The local government elections coming in Abuja, APC will still win it,” he reiterated.
He concluded by questioning what more President Tinubu’s administration could demand from the former Rivers State governor, given what he described as Wike’s loyalty and performance.