Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, has explained his decision not to serve as Director-General of President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 presidential campaign, stressing that he is not a member of the All Progressives Congress and would not put his political standing in Rivers State at risk.
Wike made the remarks on Saturday after inspecting the Apo-Karshi Road and Kubwa-Bwari Road projects in Abuja.
His comments followed the Presidency’s announcement of former Zamfara State Governor, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, as Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 election.
“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,” Wike said.
The former Rivers State governor pointed to the political experiences of some previous campaign directors-general. He noted that former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi lost the state while serving as Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign DG, while former Senate President Bukola Saraki lost Kwara State as well as his Senate seat after heading Atiku Abubakar’s 2019 presidential campaign.
Wike further mentioned Aminu Tambuwal and Simon Lalong, saying both politicians lost their respective states after serving as campaign directors-general during the 2023 elections.
He said he was unwilling to expose himself to a similar political setback by taking on a campaign leadership position.
According to Wike, his immediate objective is to ensure that President Tinubu secures victory in both the FCT and Rivers State.
He maintained that the title of campaign Director-General has little political value if the individual occupying the position cannot deliver victory in their home state.
Wike also said the prospect of his leading the APC Presidential Campaign Council was never seriously considered because he does not belong to 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.
Despite not being an APC member, Wike reaffirmed his support for Tinubu’s bid for a second term, recalling his role in backing the President during the 2023 election.
“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 disclosed that his current support for Tinubu is being organised through what he called a Rainbow Coalition, a cross-party political arrangement involving politicians who are backing the President’s re-election efforts in their respective states while retaining membership of their existing parties.
He said the coalition is already operating in several states, including Kwara, Bayelsa, Rivers, Osun and Benue.
