FCT Minister Nyesom Wike FCT Minister Nyesom Wike

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has explained why he declined to serve as Director-General of President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 presidential campaign.

Wike said he rejected the role because he would not accept a position that could put his political influence and electoral strength in Rivers State at risk.

The former Rivers State governor spoke on Saturday after inspecting ongoing construction works on the Apo-Karshi and Kubwa-Bwari roads in Abuja.

Wike said political relevance should not be determined by the position an individual occupies in a campaign organisation but by the ability to deliver electoral victory in their state.

“Political relevance is not about the position you hold in a campaign. What matters is your ability to deliver your state. We have seen campaign DGs in the past who went on to lose their own states,” he said.

His comments came shortly after the Presidency announced former Zamfara State Governor and Senator, Abdulaziz Yari, as Director-General of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 election.

Wike said accepting the position would expose him to unnecessary political risks, particularly if he failed to deliver Rivers State for Tinubu.

Past campaign DGs lost states

The FCT minister cited several politicians who held prominent campaign positions but failed to secure victory in their home states.

He mentioned former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, who served as Director-General of Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign but lost Rivers State.

Wike also cited former Senate President Bukola Saraki, who lost Kwara State and his Senate seat after leading Atiku Abubakar’s 2019 presidential campaign.

He further mentioned former Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal and former Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong as examples of politicians who served as campaign directors-general but lost their respective states during the 2023 elections.

Wike says Tinubu support remains intact

Despite declining the campaign DG position, Wike reaffirmed his support for Tinubu’s bid for a second term in office.

He said he supported Tinubu’s emergence as president in 2023 without being a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council.

“When we were fighting for the President to be president in 2023, we were not members of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, but we were fighting. We had our own strategies on how the President would emerge,” he said.

Wike also ruled out the possibility of heading the APC Presidential Campaign Council, stressing that he is not a member of the ruling party.

“I am not a member of APC. So the issue of their Presidential Campaign Council is out of the question,” he said.

Rainbow Coalition backs Tinubu

Wike said his current support for Tinubu’s re-election is being coordinated through a political arrangement known as the “Rainbow Coalition”.

According to him, the coalition comprises politicians from different political parties who are working to secure Tinubu’s re-election while retaining their membership of their respective parties.

He said the arrangement is already operational in states including Kwara, Bayelsa, Rivers, Osun and Benue.

Wike maintained that his priority was to ensure that Tinubu secures victory in both the Federal Capital Territory and Rivers State rather than occupy a prominent position in the President’s campaign structure.