Wike rejects reports of lobbying for the APC campaign DG role and reaffirms support for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid in Rivers and the FCT.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed as false reports that he is lobbying to become Director-General of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council ahead of the 2027 general election.
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Wike, in a statement issued on Monday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, said he had neither sought the position nor discussed the leadership or membership of the proposed campaign council with anyone.
The denial comes as political parties and influential figures begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 presidential contest.
Reports had listed Wike among senior politicians and government officials allegedly being considered for, or lobbying to secure, the campaign council’s director-general position.
The FCT minister, however, rejected the claim and said his immediate attention remained focused on his responsibilities in government and supporting President Bola Tinubu’s political fortunes.
“I am outside Nigeria, resting and relaxing after spending over 30 days, commissioning projects, flagging off new ones and inspecting ongoing ones, especially those scheduled for commissioning in December and January, next year,” Wike said.
He added that he had no need to occupy a formal campaign position to support Tinubu’s re-election.
“When I return, our focus will be the continuous delivery of our mandate in line with the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda and to further enhance his electoral fortune in Rivers State and the FCT,” he said.
“Therefore, I do not need to be the DG or even member of the Presidential Campaign Council of Mr President’s political party to contribute my quota by ensuring that he wins handsomely in Rivers State and the FCT.”
Wike’s comments underline the increasingly visible role he has assumed in efforts to mobilise political support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 election.
In February, the former Rivers State governor said his political network did not need the backing of a sitting governor to mobilise support for Tinubu in Rivers State.
He described the state as firmly behind the President and praised local organisers working to build grassroots support.
That mobilisation has continued through political activities involving Wike and members of the coalition supporting Tinubu.
In May, Wike again defended his support for the President, arguing that Rivers State had benefited from federal appointments and opportunities under the Tinubu administration.
He said residents should compare what the state had gained since 2023 with what it received under previous administrations.
The minister has also sought to distinguish support for Tinubu from individual ambitions within Rivers politics.
In March, Wike said he had not endorsed any particular aspirant for future political contests in Rivers State and cautioned political stakeholders against allowing personal ambitions to create divisions.
He said at the time that his principal political commitment was support for Tinubu’s presidential bid.
His latest statement therefore appears to reinforce a position he has consistently expressed in recent months: that his support for Tinubu does not depend on securing a formal position within the President’s campaign structure.
The reported campaign council position is nevertheless significant as preparations for the 2027 election gather momentum.
The director-general would be expected to play a central role in coordinating the ruling party’s presidential campaign, making speculation over potential occupants of the position politically consequential.
Wike’s influence in Rivers State is also likely to remain a major factor in the emerging political calculations surrounding the election.
His continuing alliance with Tinubu has marked a significant shift from the political alignment that characterised the 2023 presidential election, when Wike was a leading figure within the Peoples Democratic Party and part of the G5 governors who opposed the party’s presidential campaign strategy.
Since Tinubu took office, Wike has remained a prominent member of the Federal Government while retaining considerable political influence in Rivers.
For now, however, the minister has sought to put the campaign DG speculation to rest, insisting that he can contribute to Tinubu’s re-election effort without holding an official position in the campaign council.
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His stated priority, he said, is to continue delivering on his responsibilities as FCT minister while supporting the President’s political fortunes in Rivers State and the Federal Capital Territory.
