NEWS
“If Wike Was That Popular, Why Didn’t He Beat Atiku?” — Rufai Oseni Questions FCT Minister’s Political Influence
Arise Television’s Morning Show anchor, Rufai Oseni, has questioned the extent of the political influence claimed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, particularly his assertions about being able to deliver electoral victories for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Oseni raised the questions on Wednesday during a discussion centred on Wike’s political influence and his role within the current political alignment.
Wike, a prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), currently serves in President Tinubu’s administration despite his party’s opposition status.
The broadcaster challenged the tendency among politicians to equate electoral victories with personal popularity, arguing that claims of having delivered votes or candidates do not necessarily establish that such politicians enjoy broad-based support among voters.
Oseni particularly revisited Wike’s political record in Rivers State, drawing attention to the 2019 governorship election and the circumstances surrounding the announcement of the result.
“When politicians beat their chest that they delivered somebody, it’s a total fallacy.
“Like I have said before on this show, Minister Wike, let’s x-ray your 2019 governorship victory.
“Why was the counting of that election stopped midway?
“At a point, there was a certain person up there, and the counting of the results stopped, and it took about 22 days before INEC announced the victory in favour of Mr Wike.
“Based on the BBC’s report, while the official result in the state gave a majority to Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress, our tally suggested that Peter Obi of the Labour Party actually received more votes in the state by a wide margin,” he said.
The comments also touched on the wider debate surrounding the concept of political “structure”, a term frequently used by politicians and political actors when discussing their ability to mobilise voters and influence election outcomes.
Oseni questioned what politicians mean when they attribute electoral victories to the strength of their political structures, particularly in circumstances where official election results have been disputed or questioned.
“So, what is this strange structure that they say they have that they won based on?
“What is it? Is it the structure that we can turn INEC around? Is it because INEC is not as independent as an institution as it should be?
“Yes, we can say INEC’s official result, but we’ve also seen shenanigans in the official result.”
His remarks come amid renewed political discussions over the alliances and competing power structures expected to shape Nigeria’s 2027 elections.
Wike has remained an influential figure in the political landscape, while his decision to serve in the Tinubu administration has continued to generate debate within the PDP and across the broader political space.
Oseni subsequently turned his attention to the 2022 PDP presidential primary, where Wike contested for the party’s presidential ticket alongside Atiku Abubakar and other aspirants.
Atiku ultimately emerged as the PDP’s presidential candidate, while Wike finished among the leading contenders but did not secure the ticket.
Oseni cited that outcome as a basis for questioning claims that Wike possesses overwhelming popularity among Nigerian voters.
“So, I keep hearing, ‘I delivered this, I delivered that, I delivered it,’ and it’s as if they say it as if they have the full recognition of the people.
“If Wike was that popular, why didn’t he win the primaries in the PDP and beat Atiku Abubakar? He didn’t beat Atiku Abubakar in the PDP primaries, and we keep hearing the conversation here. Politicians keep acting as God,” Oseni said.
The discussion highlights the distinction between political organisation, influence within political structures and demonstrated electoral support.
While political figures frequently claim responsibility for victories achieved by candidates they support, determining the extent to which such outcomes are attributable to an individual politician remains a matter of political interpretation and competing accounts of election results.