By Daniel Tyokua
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said his political camp has a strategy for the 2027 elections, but will not disclose its details ahead of the polls.
Wike stated this on Wednesday in Abuja while speaking with journalists after inspecting ongoing infrastructure projects in the FCT.
The minister, who was responding to questions on his previous comments about the 2023 presidential election, said political actors must understand that every election involves strategic calculations.
He cited the strategy adopted by the defunct G5 governors during the 2023 presidential election as an example of how political calculations could shape electoral outcomes.
According to him, the South-South was traditionally a stronghold of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), making the party’s presidential candidate at the time, Atiku Abubakar, the major concern of the G5.
Wike said the group therefore sought to prevent Atiku from securing the region’s votes by allowing Labour Party candidate Peter Obi to gain support in some South-South states.
He, however, said Rivers State was treated differently because, according to him, the group considered the possible political implications of Obi winning the state.
The minister dismissed claims that electoral outcomes could be determined merely by social media trends, arguing that political strategies are based on broader calculations involving polling units, voting patterns and perceived threats.
Wike also rejected the argument that the outcome in any particular state could, on its own, determine the winner of a presidential election, saying political parties must assess where their major threats lie and devise strategies accordingly.
His comments come amid preparations for the 2027 general elections and his continued support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Wike has previously said his priority is to mobilise support for Tinubu’s re-election, while maintaining that the PDP can field candidates for governorship and legislative elections.
The minister had also earlier declared that he would work to deliver support for Tinubu in Rivers State and the FCT in 2027.
Wike’s latest remarks therefore place electoral strategy at the centre of his political activities ahead of the 2027 polls, although he did not disclose the details of the strategy he said his camp had adopted.
“It was only Rivers State where we said, ‘No, we have a problem here in Rivers. Obi will not win here. If he wins, he will send a signal somewhere.’ We stopped it.
“We in the G5 have our strategy. We said the PDP was stronger in the South-South and our problem was Atiku. Therefore, instead of Atiku taking it, let it go to the Labour Party.
“Social media does not win elections,” he said. We have our strategy in this election, and whether you like it or not, it’s not for us to let the cat out of the bag,” Wike said.
