2027: Why I rejected Tinubu’s campaign DG role — Wike
Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, has explained that he would have rejected any offer to serve as Director-General of President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 presidential campaign if accepting the position could weaken his political standing in Rivers State.
Wike made this known on Saturday while inspecting ongoing road projects on the Apo-Karshi and Kubwa-Bwari routes in Abuja.
His comments followed the announcement of former Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, as the Director-General of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 election.
The former Rivers State governor said holding a top position in a presidential campaign does not automatically make a politician politically relevant.
He said what matters more is the ability of a politician to secure electoral support and deliver his state during an election.
Wike referred to several former campaign directors-general whose candidates performed well in some areas but who were unable to secure victory in their own states during presidential elections.
He mentioned former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, who served as Director-General of Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign but could not deliver Rivers State to the APC.
He also cited former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who led Atiku Abubakar’s 2019 presidential campaign but lost Kwara State and his Senate seat.
Wike further mentioned former Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, and former Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, among politicians who held campaign leadership positions but lost their respective states during the 2023 election.
According to Wike, he would not want to take a similar political risk by accepting a campaign DG position, particularly because his main concern is retaining his influence in Rivers State.
He said his priority is to help President Tinubu secure victory in both Rivers State and the Federal Capital Territory in the 2027 election.
Wike also stated that he is not a member of the APC, making membership of the party’s presidential campaign council unnecessary for him. He, however, maintained that his lack of APC membership does not mean he is opposed to Tinubu’s re-election.
The minister recalled that he and other members of the G-5 governors supported Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election despite not belonging to the APC presidential campaign council.
He said they developed their own political strategies at the time to support Tinubu’s emergence as president.
Wike disclosed that his current support for Tinubu is being coordinated through a political arrangement known as the Rainbow Coalition. The group, according to him, brings together politicians from different parties who support Tinubu’s second-term bid while remaining members of their respective political parties.
He said the arrangement has already taken shape in several states, including Kwara, Bayelsa, Rivers, Osun and Benue, as politicians across party lines work towards securing support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
