The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has disclosed how he worked against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to ensure Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) emerged as governor of Edo State in the 2024 governorship election.

Wike said his resolve to stop former Governor Godwin Obaseki from producing a successor led him to support Okpebholo against the PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo, even though Ighodalo was a good candidate.

The former Rivers State governor made the disclosure on Monday during a stakeholders’ meeting of the Rainbow Coalition in Abuja, where he said the political alliance played a major role in the APC’s victory.

“I said I would not allow Obaseki to produce a successor, even though the candidate was a very good candidate, a very good candidate who was the chairman of a bank. He came to see me more than three times, but I told him, ‘Listen, I know you are a good candidate, but for this election, I am sorry because this election is between us and the man who is bringing you, called Obaseki.

‘Returning you would be like bringing him back, so I am sorry, you have to fail.’ And he failed,” the minister stated.

Wike said the Rainbow Coalition’s involvement in the Edo election showed how politicians from different parties could work together to achieve a common political goal.