‘Empty Boast’— Dele Momodu Knocks Wike Over Comment On Osun Election
A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dele Momodu, has dismissed the claim by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, that he could have helped the All Progressives Congress (APC) to win the recent Osun State governorship election.
Momodu, who described Wike’s comment as an “empty boast,” argued that the FCT minister’s political influence was not greater than that of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and several APC governors who campaigned extensively for the party ahead of the election.
Wike, while speaking during an interview on Wednesday, had said he would have personally gone to Osun to secure victory for the APC if President Bola Tinubu had determined to win the election “at all cost.”
“If the President wanted to win Osun State election at all cost, I would have been there and we will win it, and there’s nothing the governor can do,” Wike said.
The minister also maintained that the Federal Government did not deploy its full political and security influence during the election, insisting that the outcome would have been different if “federal might” had been used.
“There was no Federal might used in Osun. When you see the force and might of the Federal Government, you will know,” he added.
Reacting to the remarks, Momodu, in an interview with News Central Television, described them as “unusual, uncommon and unfortunate” for a serving minister.
He said Wike would not have been able to alter the outcome of the election even if he had been present in Osun, noting that several influential APC figures had already campaigned for the party without securing victory.
“I had to respond instantly because I knew that was an empty boast. If he had been in Osun, he would not have achieved anything,” Momodu said.
According to him, Wike’s influence could not be greater than that of Akpabio and the governors who mobilised for the APC during the election.
“He is not bigger than the Senate President and all the governors who carried themselves to Osun to try to deliver Osun to the APC,” he said.
Momodu, however, warned that Wike’s comments should not be dismissed, particularly as the country approaches the 2027 general elections.
He argued that the minister’s remarks appeared to suggest that the APC could rely on political and governmental influence to secure electoral victories in future elections.
“The danger in his statement must be noted, especially as we approach January 2027,” he said.
Momodu further recalled the experience of the former G-5 governors, including Wike, who left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the 2023 general election cycle, arguing that their political influence did not guarantee electoral victories in their respective states.
He cited the unsuccessful bids by some members of the group for Senate seats in their states as evidence that governors and other political office holders did not possess unlimited electoral influence.
“Governors don’t have the power of life and death,” Momodu said, adding that Wike would have to “divide himself into 36 states plus Abuja” to achieve the level of political control he claimed.
