The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has denied claims that he has been encouraging former President Goodluck Jonathan to re-enter the presidential race ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking during a televised media briefing with journalists on Friday, Wike described the reports as baseless, insisting that Jonathan had never approached him about a political comeback.
โJonathan has never told me. He has never called me one day to say, โLook, Iโm being pressured to run,โโ Wike said.
โIf he calls me and asks me, Iโll be able to tell him my mind, what I feel.โ
He urged the public to be wary of unverified media stories, dismissing them as misleading. โI will not, because you people put something on the page of some newspaper, just like when they said they flew me out of the country, then assume itโs correct,โ Wike added.
Recent reports had suggested that political actors were pressuring Jonathan to step aside from any 2027 presidential ambitions and instead support the re-election campaign of the current administration. Speculation over his possible return has reportedly stirred debate within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), drawing mixed reactions from across Nigeriaโs geopolitical zones.
Wike also rejected claims that former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki, was being promoted to become PDP national chairman. โI donโt know about Tanimu Turaki becoming chairman. Maybe heโs becoming chairman for another faction. Itโs not the PDP I know,โ he said.
The former Rivers State governor, who has frequently criticized PDP leadership for internal divisions, accused some party leadersโparticularly sitting governorsโof excluding key stakeholders from important decision-making.
โHave I not said before now that the booby trap you are setting will consume you? Have I not told you before now, the way these present governors are doing, they will bury this party?โ he asked.
Wike further emphasized that his contributions to the PDP remain significant despite no longer holding a gubernatorial position. โAre you telling me that because Iโm not a governor, you go and hold PDP meetings, call them stakeholders, and then exclude me and you want to survive? Certainly not,โ he stated.
Having governed Rivers State from 2015 to 2023 before his appointment as FCT Minister, Wike continues to be a prominent voice within the PDP and has consistently clashed with the party leadership over issues of internal democracy and power-sharing.
