Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has admitted that he worked against Asue Ighodalo, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the 2024 Edo State governorship election, because he did not want former governor Godwin Obaseki to determine his successor.
Wike said a political alliance involving members of the PDP and the All Progressives Congress (APC) contributed to the defeat of Ighodalo, who was backed by Obaseki, in the September 2024 governorship election.
The minister spoke at a stakeholders’ meeting of the rainbow coalition in Abuja, where he argued that political coalitions had played significant roles in determining electoral outcomes in Nigeria.
According to him, the collaboration between elements of the two parties was instrumental in ensuring that Obaseki did not retain political influence through a successor of his choice.
“In the last election that took place in Edo State, the victory was as a result of the coalition between the legacy of PDP and the APC,” Wike said.
He added, “We had to work together to make sure that the former governor, Governor Obaseki, did not produce his successor. And that is the truth. I was behind it, and I don’t have any regrets about it. So when people say that nothing like coalition, they tell lies.”
APC candidate Monday Okpebholo defeated Ighodalo in the election, marking the end of Obaseki’s administration and its bid to retain power through the PDP candidate.
Wike, a PDP member serving in President Bola Tinubu’s administration, said the outcome of the election illustrated how political alliances could influence electoral contests, irrespective of party affiliations.
The FCT minister maintained that Okpebholo and Adams Oshiomhole, a former Edo governor and senator representing Edo North, could attest to the role the alliance played in the election.
“The truth of the matter is that it has been there, depending on how it is worked out. So the governor today, Senator Okpebholo, will know sincerely that it was that coalition,” he said.
Wike added that Oshiomhole could also confirm the contribution of the alliance to the PDP’s defeat in the state.
“Senator Adams Oshiomhole will also attest to the fact that it was that coalition that made us to defeat the PDP, even though I’m a member of PDP,” he said.
Explaining his decision to oppose Ighodalo despite being in the same party, Wike said his disagreement was primarily with Obaseki’s attempt to produce a successor.
He described Ighodalo as a good candidate and disclosed that the former managing director of a bank had visited his residence more than three times to seek his support ahead of the election.
However, Wike said he declined to back the PDP candidate because he believed supporting him would allow Obaseki to maintain his political influence beyond his tenure as governor.
He recalled telling Ighodalo that his candidacy was acceptable to him, but that his association with Obaseki made it impossible for him to offer support.
“He came to my house more than three times. I said, ‘listen, you’re a good candidate, but for this election, I’m sorry, because this election is between us and the man who is bringing you, called Obaseki, an ungrateful person, so returning you is like bringing him back, so I’m sorry. You have to fail,’ and he failed,” Wike said.
The minister said he had no regrets about his role in the election, insisting that the Edo contest provided an example of how political actors could cooperate across party lines to achieve a shared objective.
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