UPDATED: Wike challenges Obi’s supporters to produce result sheet showing he won Rivers in 2023

Businessman and social commentator Isaac Fayose has dismissed the claim made by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike that opposition parties lack popularity in Abuja ahead of the 2027 general election. Fayose, speaking on News Central TV, stated that Peter Obi, the former Labour Party presidential candidate, and the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) have solid support in the capital city.

Wike had previously asserted that the opposition was not popular in Abuja and that President Bola Tinubu was likely to secure victories in both the FCT and Rivers State during the 2027 polls. Disagreeing with Wike's statement, Fayose declared: "Abuja is NDC, Abuja is Peter Obi." He urged political leaders to interact with ordinary Nigerians to ascertain public opinion before the election.

"Go to the street and try to talk to one or two people. Ask them, ‘Who are you going to vote for?’" He also suggested the adoption of opinion polls and mock elections, similar to practices in some nations, to evaluate voter preferences before significant elections. Fayose further noted that many Nigerians are eager to vote, but they are apprehensive about potential attempts to suppress votes.

"People are ready to vote. All we are scared of now is what angle they are going to employ to suppress us," he said.