Former Edo State Governor and Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, has dismissed speculation of a coalition against President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections, saying APC governors and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike remain committed to the President’s re-election….
Former Edo State Governor and Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, has dismissed speculation of a coalition against President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections, saying APC governors and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike remain committed to the President’s re-election.
Oshiomhole spoke on TVC News’ Beyond The Headlines with Nifemi Oguntoye while responding to questions about reported disagreements between some APC governors and Wike.
He said although there could be differences among political actors, there was no indication that the disagreements amounted to a coalition against Tinubu.
“I have not heard any side of the argument suggesting that anyone, including FCT Minister, that he is opposed to President Bola’s re-election,” Oshiomhole said.
According to him, Wike has repeatedly declared his support for Tinubu despite not being a member of the APC.
“He has said so by himself repeatedly that he is not an APC person. He is not a member of APC, but he supports the President,” he said.
Oshiomhole also pointed to Wike’s appointment as FCT Minister as evidence of Tinubu’s willingness to work across party lines, describing the minister as one of the PDP’s “best hands” in managing the capital.
“We have also all congratulated PDP for lending to us what we consider to be one of the best hands in PDP, managing the FCT and driving the huge infrastructural changes that we are witnessing in the Federal Capital Territory,” he said.
He added: “What better way to propose national unity than to have a President appointing somebody from an opposition party to manage the FCT as a minister?”
Oshiomhole said he would be concerned if there were evidence that Wike did not support Tinubu, but stressed that the minister had repeatedly reaffirmed his loyalty to the President.
He also said none of the APC governors had declared that they would not support Tinubu’s re-election.
“Is there any coalition against the President? The answer is no. So I really don’t see the big issue,” Oshiomhole said.
The former governor argued that political disagreements were normal, saying people could have different views about how best to achieve a common objective without disagreeing on the objective itself.
“For me, my joy is that all the APC governors are committed to the re-election of President Bola Tinubu and the FCT Minister is obviously committed to the election of Bola Tinubu,” he said.
Oshiomhole urged the APC to focus on selling Tinubu’s record and explaining the economic reforms undertaken by the administration rather than over-dramatising political disagreements.
He likened the state of the Nigerian economy inherited by Tinubu to a patient suffering from advanced cancer, arguing that the administration had been forced to undertake painful reforms to restore the economy.
“It’s like a patient who was almost already on stage four of cancer and you needed to apply chemotherapy of the strongest quality,” Oshiomhole said.
He acknowledged that stronger treatment could produce more severe short-term side effects, but expressed optimism that the reforms would eventually restore the economy.
Oshiomhole, who is seeking re-election to the Senate to represent Edo North, also stressed the importance of local political dynamics as the country approaches the 2027 elections.
