FCT Minister Nyesom Wike is under no illusion that his current political alliance could have consequences if power changes hands in 2027, according to his media aide, Lere Olayinka.
Olayinka made the remarks on Arise Television’s The Morning Show on Friday while defending Wike’s recent warning that he could become an early target if either former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar or Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi emerges victorious in the 2027 presidential election.
Wike has openly backed President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid despite his previous relationship with the opposition figures. He recently said his political position could make him vulnerable if the opposition takes control of the Federal Government.
“I will be the first politician that I think they will come after. I will be the first politician. I know they will come for my head,” Wike had said.
Explaining the statement, Olayinka described the minister as a political realist who understands the implications of his decisions and alliances.
He pointed specifically to Wike’s role in the events surrounding the 2023 presidential election, when the then-governor of Rivers State and other members of the G-5 opposed Atiku’s candidacy.
According to Olayinka, that history has left Wike with strained relations among supporters of the former vice-president.
“So Atiku people see Wike as an enemy, who did not allow Atiku to win election in 2023,” he said.
Olayinka added that supporters of Obi could similarly view Wike as an opponent, arguing that a victory by either opposition politician could therefore place the FCT minister in a politically vulnerable position.
He stopped short of claiming that Wike’s opponents had previously engaged in political retaliation when asked whether such tactics had been used against the minister.
“I’m not going to tell you that people have applied it,” Olayinka said.
However, he maintained that Wike’s concern was understandable given the intensity of the political disputes between the minister and the opposition camps.
“He has injured Atiku too much. He has injured Peter Obi too much, and when you injure people politically, you should expect a kind of a payback,” Olayinka said.
He argued that Wike was therefore not expecting political relationships to automatically be repaired if the opposition returns to power.
Olayinka said the minister was realistic enough to understand that his present alignment with Tinubu could shape how he is treated under a different administration.
The comments underline the increasingly consequential political calculations surrounding the 2027 presidential race, particularly for politicians whose current alliances place them directly against former allies and opposition forces.
