2027: My support is for Tinubu, I never said PDP won’t field candidates — Wike

By Johnson Arua

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has reiterated his support for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, clarifying that he never promised that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, would not field candidates in other elections.

Wike made the clarification in a statement issued Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, amid discussions over the emerging political coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The FCT Minister said his support for Tinubu's re-election was firm, stressing that the coalition of political parties supporting the President had no connection with the All Progressives Congress, APC.

According to him, the coalition was a platform through which members of different political parties could mobilise support for Tinubu based on their assessment of his performance in office.

Wike also said he would not assist individuals seeking to win elections in their respective states, insisting that political actors facing challenges in their states should resolve them locally rather than use Tinubu's re-election to create political sentiments.

“Politics is local and those having problems in their States should resolve them instead of using the reelection of the President to whip up sentiments,” he said.

The minister recalled that he and other members of the G5 did not meet with the APC before supporting Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election.

He maintained that his position ahead of 2027 remained focused on the presidential election and the re-election of Tinubu.

Wike said political mobilisation should be based on genuine grassroots support, noting that winning elections was no longer about relying on political calculations or coming from a particular position to become governor.

“It is about genuinely mobilising support and winning elections from the polling units,” he said.

The minister cited the outcome of the 2023 elections in some South-East states as evidence that voters could support different political parties in presidential and National Assembly elections held on the same day.

He asked: “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?

“Was it rainbow coalition that also made APC to win National Assembly elections in Ebonyi, Abia and Enugu States where the President did not have ten percent of the votes?”

Wike further argued that the voting pattern in 2023 showed that voters could distinguish between presidential and other elections.

“If in 2023, the voters in Imo, Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi voted APC in the Senatorial election and voted another party in the presidential election, they won't be confused in 2027 provided we all support the president genuinely this time?” he asked.

The FCT Minister urged political stakeholders to prioritise the presidential election, saying other political contests could be addressed after the presidential election.

“After the President must have been reelected, we can all go and face elections in our States,” he said.

Clarifying his position on the PDP, Wike said he had never promised that the party would not field candidates in the governorship, National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly 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,” he said.

He also reiterated that the so-called rainbow coalition should not be interpreted as an APC arrangement.

“Most importantly, 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,” Wike said.