Wike spoke in Abuja on Tuesday while reacting to the outcome of the recent Osun State governorship election won by the opposition.
He said the 2023 presidential election was more difficult for Tinubu because of the uncertainty surrounding the electoral process at the time.
“2023 was a tough election for him. Nobody knew what the government at the time was trying to do, and even governors were afraid,” Wike said.
He credited the Tinubu administration with allowing electoral processes to operate without undue interference.
“From what I have seen, this government allows processes to run their own way, and they must be given credit for that,” he said.
According to Wike, defeating an incumbent president requires a strong and well-organised opposition that has spent years preparing for the contest.
“To remove a government, you need a strong, vibrant opposition that has spent over four years planning, not one that is constantly looking for a party to join,” he said.
He argued that the outcome of governorship elections should not necessarily be used to predict the outcome of a presidential election.
“Governorship elections rely on local variables, but a national election is a completely different ballgame. If it is this 2027 election against Bola Ahmed Tinubu, forget it. It is over,” he declared.
Wike also dismissed concerns over economic challenges as a decisive factor, saying Nigerians should assess government by the actions being taken to address problems.
“Leadership is defined by the steps you take to solve problems. When someone identifies a problem and takes concrete action to fix it, that is the effort people should appreciate,” he said.
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