2027: Rufai Oseni Questions Wike’s Political Influence, Cites Atiku Defeat

Arise Television’s Morning Show anchor, Rufai Oseni, has questioned the political influence of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, asking why he could not defeat former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the 2022 presidential primary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Oseni made the remarks on Wednesday while discussing Wike’s claims about his political influence and ability to deliver electoral victories for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general election.

Wike, a member of the PDP who currently serves in the Tinubu administration, has repeatedly spoken about his political structure and influence in elections.

Oseni also questioned the circumstances surrounding Wike’s victory in the 2019 Rivers State governorship election, particularly the suspension of the collation process before the eventual declaration.

“Minister Wike, let’s x-ray your 2019 governorship victory. Why was the counting of that election stopped midway?” Oseni asked.

He noted that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, suspended the collation of results during the election before the process was later completed and Wike was declared the winner.

Oseni also referred to reporting by the BBC on the 2023 presidential election in Rivers State, saying there was a difference between the official results and an independent tally cited by the broadcaster.

He questioned the frequent use of the term “structure” by politicians to explain their ability to influence electoral outcomes.

“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?” he asked.

The journalist argued that claims by politicians that they “delivered” candidates should not automatically be regarded as evidence of broad popular support.

He then turned to the 2022 PDP presidential primary, where Wike contested against Atiku and other aspirants, asking why Wike failed to secure the party’s presidential ticket if his political influence was as extensive as claimed.

“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.

Atiku won the 2022 PDP presidential primary with 371 votes, while Wike finished second with 237 votes.

The comments come as political alignments intensify ahead of the 2027 elections, with Wike’s continued support for Tinubu and his claims of political influence generating debate among politicians, analysts and commentators.