Adeleke won because Tinubu allowed free, fair election – Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said Governor Ademola Adeleke of Accord Party won the recent Osun State governorship election because President Bola Tinubu allowed the poll to be free and fair.

Wike made the declaration while speaking during an inspection tour of flood-affected areas in the Federal Capital Territory on Tuesday.

Reacting to the August 15 Osun governorship election, Wike dismissed claims that the Federal Government manipulated the poll, arguing that Tinubu allowed the democratic process to take its course.

According to The Nation, the minister said the outcome of the election demonstrated that the Federal Government did not deploy its influence to undermine the opposition.

Wike said, “The President called him… congratulating him (Adeleke). What does it tell you? If Tinubu did not allow a free and fair election, would they have won? No!”

The minister also pushed back against claims of federal might being used to influence elections, drawing from his experience of previous electoral contests.

He said, “When you say force of the federal government… ask those who have survived it, though—people like me who survived federal might. It’s not by saying ‘they say, they say.’ It’s not true.”

Wike urged political observers to distinguish between state governorship elections and presidential elections, arguing that the outcome of an off-season governorship poll should not automatically be interpreted as an indication of what would happen in a presidential contest.

The minister’s comments came days after Adeleke defeated the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, in the Osun governorship election.

Adeleke polled 511,067 votes, while Oyebamiji scored 444,815 votes, giving the incumbent a margin of 66,252 votes.

Adeleke won 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji secured 11.

Wike also addressed the recurring flooding in parts of the FCT, saying the problem should not be politicised without examining its underlying causes.

According to the minister, some critics had used the recent flooding to attack the administration instead of acknowledging its achievements in other areas.

He added that government officials and residents also had roles to play in preventing flooding.

The minister also rejected suggestions that poor residents were responsible for major structural encroachments on waterways and other restricted areas.

According to Wike, many of the structures obstructing drainage channels were built by wealthy Nigerians and had existed for years before the current administration.(Punch)