FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has drawn a fresh battle line ahead of the 2027 elections, declaring his unwavering support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election while making it clear that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) remains free to field candidates against the All Progressives Congress (APC) in other contests.
Wike said his support for Tinubu should not be interpreted as an endorsement of the APC across the board, stressing that his commitment is specifically to the President’s bid for a second term.
The minister made the clarification in a statement issued Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, amid continuing political manoeuvring ahead of the 2027 elections.
“What I said and stand for is that I will mobilise support for the reelection of the President. I never promised anyone that PDP will not field candidates to contest governorship, National Assembly and States House of Assembly elections,” Wike said.
He also rejected suggestions that the emerging Rainbow Coalition was an APC arrangement, describing it as a cross-party platform for politicians and groups who believe Tinubu deserves another term.
“Rainbow coalition has nothing to do with the APC. Rather, it is our own way of mobilising support across political parties for Mr President, who has done well to deserve a second term,” he said.
Wike further warned politicians seeking his support in their respective states not to assume that his backing for Tinubu would translate into automatic victories for them, declaring, “I won’t be the one to help people to win elections in their States.”
According to him, politicians facing difficulties at home should resolve their local problems themselves because “politics is local,” rather than attempting to exploit the President’s re-election campaign to settle state-level political disputes.
To buttress his argument, Wike pointed to the 2023 elections in the South-East, where voters backed different parties at presidential and legislative levels.
“In Imo State under Governor Hope Uzodinma, how did APC win two senate seats in 2023, in an election held the same day with that of the President and APC had less than 15 percent in the presidential election? Was it rainbow coalition? Were the voters confused?” he asked.
He also cited APC victories in National Assembly elections in Ebonyi, Abia and Enugu, despite Tinubu recording less than 10 per cent of the presidential vote in those states, arguing that voters could support Tinubu for president while choosing candidates from other parties for other offices.
Wike urged political stakeholders to concentrate first on securing Tinubu’s re-election, insisting that the various parties could return to their separate state-level battles afterward.
“After the President must have been reelected, we can all go and face elections in our States,” he said.
The declaration further separates Wike’s pro-Tinubu position from blanket support for the APC, potentially setting the stage for a 2027 contest in which politicians could unite behind Tinubu at the presidential level while fighting one another for governorship and legislative seats.
