Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has credited President Bola Tinubu with allowing a level playing field that enabled Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke to retain his seat in the recent governorship election.
Wike made the remark on Tuesday while speaking with journalists during an inspection of areas affected by flooding in Abuja.
The minister dismissed allegations that the Federal Government manipulated the August 15 election in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress, arguing that Adeleke’s victory was evidence that the poll was allowed to reflect the will of voters.
Wike pointed to Tinubu’s decision to congratulate Adeleke after the election as further evidence that the president accepted the outcome.
“The President called him… congratulating him (Adeleke). What does it tell you? If Tinubu did not allow a free and fair election, would they have won? No!” Wike said.
He also rejected claims that the Federal Government used its influence to determine the outcome of the poll, citing his own experience of facing federal power during previous political contests.
“When you say force of the federal government… ask those who have survived it, though—people like me who survived federal might. It’s not by saying ‘they say, they say.’ It’s not true,” he said.
Adeleke, who contested under the Accord Party, defeated the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, in the closely fought election.
The governor secured 511,067 votes against Oyebamiji’s 444,815, finishing 66,252 votes ahead of his challenger.
Adeleke won in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji prevailed in 11.
Wike cautioned against using the outcome of an off-cycle governorship election as a direct measure of the prospects of political parties in a future presidential election.
He argued that governorship contests and presidential elections have different dynamics and should be assessed independently.
The minister also spoke on the recent flooding in Abuja, urging politicians and other commentators to focus on the factors responsible for the problem rather than turning the situation into a political controversy.
Wike said human activities, particularly the construction of structures on waterways and the obstruction of drainage channels, had contributed to the flooding.
He maintained that several properties encroaching on waterways were owned by wealthy individuals and had existed for years, stressing that the problem should not be blamed on poor residents.
According to him, the FCT administration would continue to enforce planning regulations and tackle structures obstructing natural and designated drainage routes.
