Former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has dismissed claims that the Federal Government manipulated the recently concluded Osun State governorship election, insisting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu allowed the electoral process to run its course.

Wike said allegations of federal interference were unfounded, recalling his own experiences in previous electoral contests where, according to him, the influence of the Federal Government was more pronounced.

“When you say force of Federal Government… ask those who have survived it. People like me survived federal might. It’s not by saying ‘they say, they say.’ It’s not true,” he said.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory also pointed to what he described as President Tinubu’s fair approach before the election, particularly his decision against using administrative powers to punish opposition figures.

According to Wike, the President’s actions demonstrated that he was not seeking to manipulate the outcome of the poll.

“The president called him… congratulating him. What does it tell you? If Tinubu did not allow a free and fair election, would they have won? No!” Wike stated.

He urged political commentators to distinguish between state governorship elections and presidential contests, arguing that the outcome of a governorship election is often determined by local political dynamics and should not automatically be interpreted as an indication of how voters would behave in a national election.

Wike maintained that the Osun election should therefore be assessed on its own circumstances rather than being portrayed as evidence of Federal Government interference.