The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said President Bola Tinubu will have an easier time winning the 2027 presidential election than he did in 2023.

Wike stated this while speaking during an inspection tour of flood-affected areas in the Federal Capital Territory on Monday.

Wike said the fragmented nature of the opposition would make it difficult for the parties to mount a strong challenge against Tinubu in 2027.

He declared, “This election, the 2027 election, will be the easiest election for Mr President. 2023 was a tough election for him.”

The former Rivers State governor further argued that the opposition had been weakened by defections and political movements ahead of the next election.

He said, “This election, where the opposition has been crippled,  you know what it means? Depleted; they finished them.”

Wike said a credible opposition needed to spend years building a strong political structure instead of moving from one party to another in search of an electoral platform.

He said, “For you to be opposition to remove a government, it must be what you call a strong, vibrant opposition that has stayed for over four years planning, not opposition that is looking for a party to run to.”

He added, “Today, they’re going to Party A. So, you see, that kind of opposition can never win.”

Wike was emphatic about Tinubu’s chances in 2027, saying, “If it is this 2027 election against Bola Ahmed Tinubu, no, forget it. It’s over.”

The minister dismissed criticism from opposition politicians and commentators, saying their media appearances would not erase what he described as the achievements of the Tinubu administration over the past three years.

Wike said, “I don’t want to reply to political commentaries. I don’t want to reply to people who think that appearing before media houses will give them an edge to win an election that they have lost. No.”

He maintained that the administration’s achievements could not be diminished by political criticism.

He said, “Nobody can diminish what this administration has done in the past three years. Nobody can diminish it. This administration has done very well as far as the Federal Capital Territory is concerned.”

According to him, although the government had not solved all the country’s problems, it had made progress in addressing major challenges.

He added, “That does not mean I claim that we have solved all problems, no. Are we solving problems? Yes. Have we solved major problems? Yes. Will we continue to solve problems? Yes.”

The minister also spoke on the government’s response to flooding and illegal structures in the FCT.

He warned officials of the FCT Development Control Department against delaying enforcement operations with bureaucratic excuses, saying the administration had the political will to act against structures obstructing waterways.

Wike said, “And let nobody make a mistake that this government lacks the political will to do anything. The person must be making a very big mistake. If there is one minister that has that political will, I have. I have the political will.”

He directed that houses found on waterways should be demolished, regardless of the status of their owners.

He said, “I’m going to bring those houses down! Any house that’s found on the water channel will go down!”

Wike said the enforcement would not be suspended because of the approaching election.

He added, “Whether there is an election, oh, there’s no election, oh, all those houses will go down. Heaven will not fall; rather, heaven will be at peace that the right thing has been done.”

The minister also condemned the conversion of designated green areas in Abuja into commercial parks and other developments.

He said some individuals had attempted to justify such developments by relying on historical claims about land allocations.

Wike said, “Because something that was done wrongly will not be corrected? No, we will not allow that. We won’t.”

He assured residents that desilting and other infrastructure interventions would continue in flood-prone areas, including Lokogoma and the Yakubu Gowon Crescent axis in Asokoro.

He also urged residents to support efforts to address flooding by properly disposing of waste and avoiding activities that could obstruct drainage channels.