By Jelili Gbadamosi
Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has explained his decision not to take up the role of Director-General of President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 presidential campaign, saying his priority is to deliver electoral victory rather than occupy a campaign position.
Wike spoke on Saturday after inspecting the Apo-Karshi Road and Kubwa-Bwari Road projects in Abuja, stressing that political relevance should be measured by a politician’s ability to secure electoral support rather than the position they hold in a campaign organisation.
His comments followed the appointment of former Zamfara State Governor, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, as Director-General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 election.
Wike said he was unwilling to risk losing Rivers State by taking up a campaign position, pointing to previous campaign directors-general who failed to deliver their home states during presidential elections.
“Political relevance is not about the position you hold in a campaign. What matters is your ability to deliver your state,” he said.
He cited former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, who served as Director-General of Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign but later lost Rivers State, and former Senate President Bukola Saraki, who lost Kwara State and his Senate seat after leading Atiku Abubakar’s campaign in 2019.
The FCT Minister also mentioned former governors Aminu Tambuwal and Simon Lalong, saying they similarly lost their respective states after serving as campaign directors-general during the 2023 election.
Wike argued that heading a presidential campaign would have little political value if the individual could not secure victory in their own state.
“I am not a member of APC. So the issue of their Presidential Campaign Council is out of the question,” he said.
Despite not being an APC member, Wike reaffirmed his support for Tinubu’s re-election bid, recalling that he backed the President during the 2023 election without belonging to the APC campaign council.
He said his political group had adopted its own strategy to support Tinubu’s emergence and would continue to work towards his re-election in 2027.
Wike explained that his current support for Tinubu is being coordinated through what he called a “Rainbow Coalition”, comprising politicians from different parties who are backing the President while retaining membership of their respective political organisations.
According to him, the coalition is already active in states including Kwara, Bayelsa, Rivers, Osun and Benue.
