Wike reveals what Atiku and Obi would do to him if Tinubu loses in 2027

• Nyesom Wike says he expects to be among the first political targets if Tinubu loses the 2027 election. 

• Wike said he believes Atiku or Peter Obi would come after him because of his strong support for Tinubu. 

• He said he has no regrets about backing Tinubu and remains focused on helping him secure a second term. 

• Wike’s comments were his own assessment of the possible political consequences of a Tinubu defeat, not a report of threats made against him by Atiku or Obi. 

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said he expects to be one of the first politicians targeted if President Bola Tinubu loses the 2027 presidential election to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar or former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi.

Wike made the statement during a media chat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, while explaining his continued support for Tinubu’s re-election bid.

The former Rivers State governor said his open backing of Tinubu had made him a marked target of opposition politicians and that he expected consequences if the president is defeated.

“I will be the first politician that I think they will come after. I will be the first politician. I know they will come for my head,” Wike said.  

Wike said he had no regrets about supporting Tinubu despite the political risks he believes could come with the decision.

He described the president’s re-election as a major focus for him, saying his daily activities were centred around ensuring Tinubu remains in office beyond 2027.

“Each day I sleep, I am thinking about the president’s reelection. When I am eating, I think about the president’s reelection. Everything I am doing now is about the president’s reelection,” he said. 

The FCT minister’s comments come as political activities and alliances intensify ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with Tinubu seeking a second term and Atiku and Obi among the prominent opposition figures being discussed in the contest.

Atiku, who is now associated with the African Democratic Congress, and Obi, who is with the Nigeria Democratic Congress, are expected to be among the major opposition figures challenging the president if they emerge as their respective parties’ presidential candidates. 

Wike’s relationship with Atiku has also been strained by events surrounding the 2023 presidential election. Wike, then Rivers State governor, was one of the five PDP governors known as the G5 who opposed the party’s presidential campaign under Atiku after the party failed to meet their demands for internal reforms.

The dispute contributed to the political realignment that followed the 2023 election and has remained a source of tension between Wike and Atiku.

Wike has since become a member of Tinubu’s administration, serving as FCT minister, despite remaining a member of the Peoples Democratic Party.

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His latest comments therefore underline how far his political alignment has shifted from his former party’s presidential candidate and why he sees a potential opposition victory in 2027 as a threat to his political interests.

However, Wike did not say that Atiku or Obi had personally threatened him. His comments were an expression of his belief that he would be among the first politicians the opposition would target if Tinubu lost the election.

The minister maintained that he would continue to support Tinubu’s re-election despite what he described as the possible consequences of his political choice.