By TheDailyNewsHub Reporter
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has dismissed the suggestion that securing 25 per cent of votes in the territory should be the target for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, insisting that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is positioned to win the FCT.
Wike made the remarks in an interview on Arise TV today, saying his concern was preventing opposition parties from securing the required share of votes in the territory. He maintained that the APC had already established its electoral advantage in the FCT.
The minister’s comments come as political parties and their supporters intensify preparations for the 2027 general election, with the FCT emerging as an important battleground in the contest for the presidency.
Wike has expressed confidence that infrastructure projects undertaken by the FCT administration, alongside engagement with traditional rulers and community stakeholders, could strengthen support for Tinubu.
The minister has questioned why his political target should be limited to the minimum electoral threshold, arguing that his administration’s development projects and political mobilisation efforts should translate into broader support for the president.
Wike has also declared his intention to coordinate Tinubu’s re-election campaign in the FCT and Rivers State. His political position has attracted attention because he remains associated with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while openly supporting the president of the APC-led Federal Government.
The 25 per cent threshold has particular significance in the FCT because of the constitutional requirements for winning a presidential election. Section 134 of the Nigerian Constitution requires a presidential candidate to secure the highest number of votes nationwide and at least one-quarter of the votes cast in at least two-thirds of the states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, subject to the applicable constitutional provisions.
The interpretation of this requirement became a major issue after the 2023 presidential election, when Tinubu won the presidency despite failing to secure 25 per cent of the votes cast in the FCT. The Supreme Court subsequently rejected challenges to his election, including arguments relating to the constitutional threshold.
Wike’s latest remarks indicate that his political objective in the territory goes beyond meeting the minimum requirement. However, his assertion that the APC has already won the FCT is a prediction about the forthcoming election, not an official result. The outcome will depend on voters’ choices when the presidential election is held.
The minister has linked his confidence to development projects across the territory, including roads and other infrastructure in satellite communities. He has argued that engagement with traditional rulers, local leaders and residents could influence voting patterns in 2027.
His comments come as political mobilisation gathers pace ahead of the next general election. The extent to which the APC can translate its political alliances and the FCT administration’s projects into votes will only become clear after the election.