Chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dele Momodu, has criticised FCT Minister Nyesom Wike over his comments on the recently concluded Osun State governorship election.
Wike had suggested that Governor Ademola Adeleke could have been defeated if the Federal Government had deployed its full political influence to support the APC candidate.
Reacting during an interview with News Central Television, Momodu described Wike’s claim as an “empty boast”, arguing that the minister’s political influence was not greater than that of Senate President Godswill Akpabio and several governors who reportedly worked for the APC during the election.
Momodu questioned what Wike could have achieved in Osun that other influential political figures could not accomplish.
He also warned that the minister’s comments were particularly concerning ahead of the 2027 general elections, arguing that the APC could attempt to deploy similar political strategies in future elections.
The ADC chieftain further recalled the former G-5 governors who left the PDP ahead of the 2023 elections, arguing that some of them subsequently struggled to secure victories in their respective senatorial contests.
Momodu concluded that governors do not possess unlimited political power, saying Wike would effectively need to be present across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to exercise the level of influence he claimed.
The exchange adds to the growing political debate over the role of federal influence, incumbency and political structures in Nigerian elections ahead of 2027.
