By Jelili Gbadamosi
Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has said his support for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid should not be interpreted as an endorsement of politicians seeking to win elections in their respective states.
Wike said his role in the 2027 election would be limited to mobilising support for Tinubu, stressing that politicians facing challenges in their states must resolve such issues through their own grassroots structures.
The minister made the clarification in a statement issued on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka.
According to Wike, his decision to support Tinubu does not amount to an agreement that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or any other political party should withdraw from state and legislative contests.
“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,” he said.
Wike also dismissed suggestions that the rainbow coalition supporting Tinubu was an extension of the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing it instead as a platform comprising politicians from different parties who believe the President deserves a second term.
He recalled that he and other members of the G5 backed Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election without negotiating with the APC.
The FCT minister maintained that the same principle would guide his position in 2027, saying his priority was the presidential contest and not determining which party would control state governments or legislative seats.
Wike further argued that recent election results demonstrated that Nigerian voters could distinguish between presidential and down-ballot contests.
He cited the 2023 elections in Imo, Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi, where voters supported different political parties across presidential, senatorial and other legislative elections.
According to him, the results showed that political parties seeking victory in governorship and legislative elections must build their own support at the grassroots rather than depend on presidential alliances.
He therefore urged politicians to focus on securing Tinubu’s re-election first, adding that the various political actors could return to their state-level contests afterwards.
“After the President must have been re-elected, we can all go and face elections in our states,” Wike said.
He reiterated that his support for Tinubu would not prevent the PDP or other political parties from fielding candidates for governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections in 2027.
