Wike to El-Rufai: I Can Bet You, Tinubu Will Win 2027 Presidential Election

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, emphatically challenged former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai’s forecast that President Bola Tinubu would finish a distant third in the 2027 presidential race, while stressing that Nigeria’s next election must be grounded in realistic political structures and not based on wishful expectations.

Wike’s comments came during a media chat in Abuja, where El-Rufai had claimed Tinubu had “no pathway to win,” predicting a runoff and suggesting the President was destined for third place.

Wike, who responded with both derision and confidence in Tinubu’s re-election chances said “El-Rufai is my friend, but he failed in this mathematics, he goofed; he should have completed it, since he knows Tinubu would come third, he should also provide who would be first and second.

“How did he arrive at who will be third and and you don’t arrive at who will be first and second? One thing I like about El-Rufai is that he speaks his mind, but sometimes speaking your mind, say the one that is correct. In this one, I will put a bet, if he agrees, that Tinubu will win this election squarely,” Wike said.

Beyond that pointed response, Wike also used the opportunity to clarify his position within the opposition’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

While he reaffirmed his membership, he argued that the PDP must reclaim credibility by focusing on policy consistency and structural integrity, just as he took a swipe at opposition claims that aplomb on social media equates to political capital.

“Some people believe that shouting on television or social media means they are popular. Politics doesn’t work that way. Politics is about structures, alliances, and results. President Tinubu has all of these, and that is why he is not going anywhere in 2027,” Wike said.

The minister further questioned the opposition’s readiness to challenge Tinubu’s network.

“If you can not get your politics right at home, how then do you assume to know what will happen at the national level?” he admonished, at once mocking El-Rufai’s failed “calculations” and warning other critics to match words with coherent strategy.

Wike also took a moment to reflect on election culture in Nigeria, noting that citizens expect accountability, yet candidate platforms rarely deliver.

“Tell me which election INEC conducted that people didn’t complain about. Is there anybody who has lost election in this country and has come out to concede, apart from Jonathan? Mention one,” he challenged, urging politicians to follow ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s lead in accepting electoral verdicts.