‘My support is for Tinubu’s re-election, I can’t help you win in your states’, Wike replies APC Govs

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has clarified that his support for the 2027 re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu does not extend to other All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates contesting governorship and legislative elections.

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

Wike, in the statement, said he never promised that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would not field candidates for governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections in 2027.

Recalls that the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, on Monday night said governors elected on the platform of the APC would not support or endorse any presidential candidate outside the ruling party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Uzodimma made the position known after a meeting of APC governors in Abuja, declaring that the forum had unanimously resolved against participating in any political alliance or arrangement capable of weakening the party or undermining the reelection of President Tinubu.

According to the Imo governor, the APC governors are also opposed to any arrangement that could adversely affect candidates of the party at any level.

“No arrangement that creates confusion, divided loyalty, or competing interests within the party will be entertained,” he said.

However, reacting to the APC governors’ position, Wike said his position remained clear: he would mobilise support for Tinubu’s re-election, while political parties and politicians would be free to contest elections in their respective states.

He also dismissed suggestions that the “rainbow coalition” being promoted in support of Tinubu was an APC arrangement.

According to him, the coalition is a platform for politicians across different political parties who believe that Tinubu has performed well and deserves a second term.

Wike said, “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 States House of Assembly elections.”

He added, “Most importantly, rainbow coalition has nothing to do with the APC. Rather, it is own way of mobilising support accross political parties for Mr President, who has done well to deserve a second term.

The minister said he did not meet with the APC before he and other members of the G5 supported Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election.

He maintained that his support in 2027 would similarly be directed at the President and not automatically extend to other APC candidates.

Wike also said he would not be responsible for helping politicians win elections in their respective states, stressing that political contests at the state level should be handled by those involved.

He said, “Politics is local, and those having problems in their States should resolve them instead of using the reelection of the President to whip up sentiments.”

The FCT minister argued that the outcome of the 2023 elections demonstrated that voters could support different parties in presidential and legislative elections.

He cited Imo State, where the APC won two senatorial seats in 2023 despite receiving less than 15 percent of the presidential votes in the state.

Wike asked, “In Imo State, under Governor Hope Uzodinma, how did APC win two senate seats in 2023, in an election held the same day with that of the President and APC had less than 15 percent in the presidential election? Was it rainbow coalition? Were the voters confused?”

He also referenced the results in Ebonyi, Abia and Enugu States, where the APC won National Assembly seats despite Tinubu securing less than 10 percent of the presidential votes in some of those states.

“Was it a rainbow coalition that also made the APC win National Assembly elections in Ebonyi, Abia and Enugu States where the President did not have ten percent of the votes?” he asked.

According to Wike, the same pattern could occur in 2027, with voters supporting Tinubu for president while choosing candidates from other parties in state and legislative elections.

“If in 2023, the voters in Imo, Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi voted APC in the Senatorial election and voted another party in the presidential election, they won’t be confused in 2027 provided we all support the president genuinely this time?” he said.

Wike urged political stakeholders to prioritise the presidential election before turning their attention to state-level contests.

He said, “After the President must have been reelected, we can all go and face elections in our states.”

The minister also dismissed the notion that political support for Tinubu should translate into automatic support for every APC candidate.

He said political actors should focus on genuinely mobilising voters for the President rather than using his re-election bid to settle political disputes in their respective states.

Wike said the current political arrangement was different from simply moving politicians from one political party to another, insisting that the rainbow coalition was intended to bring together supporters of Tinubu from across party lines.

He further argued that politics was no longer about relying on political calculations or alliances to produce electoral victories, but about building genuine support from polling units.

“The Minister said politics is no longer about coming from fourth position to be governor; it is about genuinely mobilising support and winning elections from the polling units,” the statement said.