Popular TV anchor, Rufai Oseni, has claimed that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, is strategically positioning himself for a possible presidential bid in 2039.
Oseni made the claim on Monday while analysing the recent disagreement between Wike and some governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to him, President Bola Tinubu may be unwilling to allow the dispute between Wike and the APC governors to escalate because of his political interests ahead of the 2027 elections.
“President Tinubu will never rock the boat. He will just try to give a gloomier response to settle the matter between Wike and the governors because he wants to win an election,” Oseni said.
The broadcaster argued that Tinubu’s approach could be aimed at keeping Wike within his political camp while also addressing some of the concerns raised by the FCT minister.
Oseni, however, said the major political battle involving Wike could come after the 2027 elections, particularly over the future of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“But you see, where the real tussle will be is after elections have been won or lost,” he said.
He also questioned how Wike would seek to rebuild the PDP after allegedly weakening the party and supporting a faction within it.
Oseni further alleged that Wike’s current political activities were part of a long-term strategy to position himself for the presidency when power is expected to return to the South after the current political cycle.
“All of this Wike is playing, forget it, he has presidential ambitions. Anyway, he ran in the last election cycle, so all of this is strategically positioning himself for the next eight years when power will come back to the South,” he said.
He added that Wike’s age could be an advantage in his reported long-term political calculations.
“And you see, the good thing about the game which he is playing is that age is on his side,” Oseni said.
Oseni’s comments are his political assessment and do not establish that Wike has declared an intention to contest the 2039 presidential election.