Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has challenged governors and other members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council to ensure that President Bola Tinubu wins their respective states in the 2027 general election, warning that they should not claim victory if they fail to deliver their territories.
Wike gave the warning on Wednesday in Abuja during the inauguration of the presidential campaign council, where he was appointed to coordinate campaign activities in the FCT and Rivers State.
He said the responsibility of members of the council should not be measured by their positions or titles but by their ability to mobilise voters and secure support for Tinubu’s re-election bid.
“I want to say, if you don’t deliver your states and the President wins, don’t say we’ve won. It’s not a question of whether I am chairman, secretary or member of this. What is important is for the President to win,” Wike said.
Emphasising his point, the former Rivers State governor said even Lagos, a key political stronghold of the APC, should not be taken for granted.
“I told the Chief of Staff to the President, if the President doesn’t win in Lagos, don’t say we’ve won,” he added.
Wike also pledged to mobilise support for Tinubu in Rivers State and the FCT, expressing confidence that both territories would record strong support for the President.
“By the grace of God, Rivers and FCT will vote massively for Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
Wike’s role in Tinubu’s re-election campaign
Wike’s appointment has drawn attention because he remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), despite his open support for Tinubu, who was elected President on the APC platform in 2023.
During the 2023 presidential election, Wike’s political differences with the PDP’s national leadership, particularly over the party’s presidential ticket and internal power-sharing arrangements, contributed to the divisions within the opposition party. His position placed him among the prominent PDP figures who did not actively support the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
His latest role in Tinubu’s campaign council further highlights the political alliances developing ahead of the 2027 election, with figures from outside the APC joining efforts to support the President’s second-term ambition.
At Wednesday’s event, Wike praised Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party for attending the inauguration, describing their presence as a sign of the support Tinubu was attracting across party lines.
Wike defends Tinubu’s administration
The FCT minister also defended the President’s performance, arguing that successive governments had identified Nigeria’s challenges without adequately addressing them.
He said political opposition should be based on constructive criticism and the presentation of alternatives rather than opposition for its own sake.
According to Wike, a functioning democracy requires political parties to identify problems, hold the government accountable and contribute ideas that can improve governance.
‘I am the leader of the PDP’
Speaking about his position in the opposition party, Wike asserted that he remained the PDP’s leader, despite the party’s internal divisions and disagreements over its leadership.
“As an opposition party member, as the leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, there are no two leaders of the PDP. I am the leader,” he declared.
His statement comes amid continuing disagreements within the PDP over leadership, party control and its direction ahead of the 2027 elections.
Wike also challenged area council officials in the FCT to dispute the impact of Tinubu’s administration on the territory.
“I challenge any area council that can say they don’t feel the impact of Mr President in Abuja,” he said.
His remarks have placed renewed emphasis on the expectations facing members of Tinubu’s campaign council, particularly the task of translating political alliances into electoral support across states ahead of the 2027 general election.