2027: ‘I Won’t Help Anyone Win Election’ – Wike

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has drawn a clear line between his support for President Bola Tinubu and the political battles in individual states ahead of the 2027 elections.

Wike said his main focus for the 2027 general elections would be to mobilise support for Tinubu’s re-election, stressing that he would not take responsibility for helping politicians win governorship or other state-level elections.

The minister made the clarification in a statement issued on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka.

Wike said his support for Tinubu’s second-term bid remained unchanged but noted that he never promised that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would not field candidates for governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections.

He advised politicians facing problems in their respective states to resolve them locally instead of dragging Tinubu’s re-election campaign into their disputes.

“I won’t be the one to help people to win elections in their states. Politics is local, and those having problems in their states should resolve them instead of using the re-election of the President to whip up sentiments,” Wike said.

The FCT minister also dismissed any link between the rainbow coalition and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to him, the coalition comprises politicians from different parties who are supporting Tinubu because of what they consider to be his achievements and want him to remain in office beyond 2027.

“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.

Wike recalled that he and other members of the G5 supported Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election without first holding discussions with the APC.

He said his position had not changed ahead of 2027, explaining that his interest was to support Tinubu for another term and not decide which party should win elections at the state level.

The minister also stressed the importance of grassroots mobilisation in winning elections.

He argued mobilization calculations alone were no longer enough to secure victory, particularly in governorship elections.

Wike cited the 2023 elections in Imo, Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi states, where voters backed different political parties in presidential and legislative contests.

He questioned how the APC secured two senatorial seats in Imo State despite receiving less than 15 per cent of the presidential votes in the state.

He also cited APC victories in National Assembly elections in Ebonyi, Abia and Enugu, despite the party recording less than 10 per cent of the presidential votes in some of the states.

“The results showed that voters were capable of separating presidential and state-level elections,” he said.

Wike urged political stakeholders to focus first on Tinubu’s presidential re-election before turning their attention to other contests.

“After the President must have been re-elected, we can all go and face elections in our states,” he said.

The minister maintained that his support for Tinubu did not mean that other political parties would be stopped from contesting governorship, National Assembly or State House of Assembly elections.

“What I said and stand for is that I will mobilise support for the re-election of the President. I never promised anyone that PDP will not field candidates to contest governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections,” he said.