Wike Dares El-Rufai: ‘I Will Bet If Tinubu Fails to Win 2027’
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed the recent prediction by former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, that President Bola Tinubu will come third in the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking during his monthly media parley with journalists on Monday, September 1, 2025, aired live on Channels Television and monitored by Headlineswave.ng, Wike openly challenged El-Rufai’s claim, stating that he was ready to stake a bet if Tinubu does not emerge victorious in 2027.
El-Rufai had, on Sunday’s edition of Channels TV’s Politics Today, argued—through what he described as a “mathematical calculation”—that Tinubu would finish third in the next general election.
Reacting, Wike said.: “I will put a bet on this, if Tinubu doesn’t win the 2027 presidential election.”
The FCT Minister maintained that the President still enjoys massive political goodwill across the country and dismissed El-Rufai’s projection as unrealistic.
This exchange adds fresh tension to the ongoing political permutations ahead of the 2027 polls, as leading figures within the ruling party continue to project differing scenarios about Tinubu’s chances of re-election.
