Wike Fires Back at Imo, Kwara Governors, Says They Are Working Against Him

ABUJA — Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has accused Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma and his Kwara counterpart, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, of turning against him despite what he described as his past political support for both governors.

Speaking during a media chat in Port Harcourt yesterday, Wike said Abdulrazaq had allegedly spearheaded a campaign against him in Kwara, while recalling a previous disagreement with Uzodimma.

The former Rivers State governor also offered an account of how he and his allies helped President Bola Tinubu defeat Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi in the 2023 presidential election.

Wike said he would remain actively involved in efforts to secure Tinubu’s victory in 2027, warning that he would personally become a major target if either Atiku or Obi defeated the President.

He also declared former Rivers governor Rotimi Amaechi unfit for the vice presidency and accused the Nigerian Bar Association of becoming politically partisan.

Wike accuses Abdulrazaq of campaign against him

According to Wike, the Kwara governor had taken the lead in efforts to mobilise opposition against him.

“Take for example, Kwara, he has been the one championing this campaign against me everywhere. Yes, I have confronted him too. I don’t talk about what I cannot defend,” he said.

Wike said Abdulrazaq had accused him of backing candidates opposed to the governor’s preferred choices.

He, however, argued that Abdulrazaq should appreciate the role he played in providing a political platform for aggrieved APC figures who moved to the PDP instead of joining the coalition opposed to Tinubu.

Wike also recounted his disagreement with Uzodimma, alleging that the Imo governor had previously refused to support him despite the political assistance he claimed to have offered.

Nevertheless, the minister said his differences with the two governors would not distract him from his support for Tinubu’s re-election.

“Any Nigerian who knows me know I have never hidden my intention,” he said.

APC governors raise concerns over Rainbow Coalition

Uzodimma declined to comment on Wike’s allegations when contacted.

However, APC governors reportedly criticised Wike’s National Rainbow Coalition, with a source close to the governors alleging that the group could create confusion among voters and weaken Tinubu’s electoral support.

Uzodimma is chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum, while Abdulrazaq heads the Nigerian Governors’ Forum.

Sources close to President Tinubu said concerns about the coalition had been brought to the President’s attention at a recent meeting of governors in Abuja.

The concern centres on the fact that the coalition has fielded PDP candidates for National Assembly positions to contest elections taking place on the same day as the presidential election.

According to the sources, the arrangement could divide votes between Tinubu and the coalition’s candidates.

They alleged that some coalition members were publicly identifying with Tinubu while simultaneously promoting their own candidates and interests within their communities.

Sources familiar with the group’s activities claimed that some supporters could be encouraged to vote PDP for National Assembly positions while backing Tinubu for president.

The development has reportedly generated concern among APC governors, who fear that some voters, particularly those in rural communities, may vote along party lines without distinguishing between individual candidates.

The 2023 election in Oyo State was cited as an example of how presidential and National Assembly voting patterns could differ, with the PDP losing National Assembly seats despite being the ruling party in the state.

Coalition could affect Tinubu’s votes, sources say

Atiku Abubakar, now the ADC presidential candidate, has continued to campaign aggressively ahead of the 2027 election and is seeking to strengthen his support in the North-East and North-West.

Sources said the coalition could become particularly damaging to Tinubu if he failed to secure strong support in the North-Central and South-East.

The sources said Wike may have been informed about concerns surrounding the coalition, which they claimed contributed to his criticism of Abdulrazaq and Uzodimma.

Wike’s criticism of Abdulrazaq was also linked to the Kwara governor’s alleged alignment with former governor Bukola Saraki.

However, the political arrangement is not limited to Kwara, with coalition candidates reportedly active in Gombe, Cross River, Zamfara and other states.

In Cross River, sources said PDP, Labour-Obidient and ADC elements had formed a similar coalition against incumbent Governor Bassey Otu.

The governors are said to be urging the APC leadership to act before the coalition becomes a bigger challenge to Tinubu’s re-election.

“The rainbow coalition poses more dangers to the president’s re-election and needs to be addressed urgently,” a source said.

Wike reveals 2023 strategy against Atiku

Wike said his political camp deliberately worked to prevent Atiku from securing enough support to win the 2023 presidential election.

He explained that the strategy involved allowing Peter Obi to consolidate support in the South-East, thereby reducing Atiku’s access to the region.

“Do you know what we did in 2023? Let me tell you now to shock you. We knew that the man who was controlling the election was Atiku. Forget about all the noise about Obi. We gave it to him – take the South-East,’’ he said.

Wike said former Benue Governor Samuel Ortom was central to the strategy because of his reservations about the PDP’s Muslim-Muslim ticket.

“We knew his bias, we knew what was going to happen because of the Muslim-Muslim ticket. We wanted to block Atiku, so we said, support Obi. It was a strategy. We wanted to defeat him, yes. And he took it,’’ Wike said.

He maintained that the PDP’s internal political calculations contributed significantly to Atiku’s defeat.

‘I know they will come for my head if Tinubu loses’

Wike said his strong support for Tinubu had made him vulnerable to political retaliation if the President loses the 2027 election.

“I will be the first politician that I think they will come after. I will be the first politician. I know they will come for my head,” he said.

He said he had accepted the risks associated with his political position and remained committed to Tinubu.

“Each day I sleep, I am thinking about the president’s re-election. When I am eating, I think about the president’s re-election. Everything I am doing now is about the president’s re-election,” Wike stated.

The minister said he had been subjected to intense criticism but remained unfazed.

“I don’t see where anybody in this country today has been called names the way my name has been. I am not bothered about people who say their [own] thing. My business is, like I said, I am going to support Mr President,” he declared.

Wike forecasts strong Tinubu performance in North

Wike expressed confidence that Tinubu would win at least 25 per cent of the vote in every northern state in 2027.

He further predicted that Atiku would not reach 10 per cent in several southern states.

“There is no way in the north that the President will not make 25 per cent. There are so many places in the south Atiku won’t have 10 per cent,” he said.

Wike specifically named Plateau, Nasarawa, Kwara and Kogi among states he expects Tinubu to win.

“Let’s take North-Central. Who will win in Plateau? The President will take Plateau. He will win Nasarawa. He will win Kwara. He will win Kogi,” he said.

He also rejected arguments that economic hardship would prevent Tinubu from winning another term.

“Is there any election that had no hunger in Nigeria? Mention one election. Even Buhari’s election, people were talking about insecurity, hunger. Everybody still voted,” he stated.

Wike attacks Amaechi, NBA

Wike renewed his attack on Amaechi, arguing that the former Rivers governor’s alleged past actions against the judiciary disqualified him from seeking the vice presidency.

“Rotimi Amaechi, who wants to be vice president today, once shut down the courts in Rivers State and caused a pregnant woman to give birth in prison,” Wike alleged.

He also criticised the NBA for what he described as political partisanship.

“The Nigerian Bar Association has now taken sides politically. They are now a political party,” he declared.

Wike said Nigerians should scrutinise the records of politicians who claim to be defenders of democracy and the rule of law before supporting them for senior public office.

He also rejected the idea of remaining politically inactive while Atiku campaigns for the presidency.

“You want me to fold my arms for Atiku Abubakar to come and win the election?” he queried.

Wike dismisses Rivers relocation speculation

The minister dismissed reports that he intended to move from Abuja to Rivers State.

He said his trips to Rivers were meant to maintain contact with his supporters and political associates as the 2027 elections approach.

“It is not about relocating; it is about coming home to relate with the people and talk to them, and also do those things you know how to do very well, not to take chances. So, I’m not relocating. I don’t need to relocate, but I also have to be in touch with my people, so I don’t just sit in Abuja and then say everything is going on well there,” he said.

Wike said he did not want to rely entirely on assurances from political associates about the situation in Rivers.

“I don’t want to sit in Abuja and candidates are saying, ‘Oh, don’t bother, everything is going on well.’’

He said his continued presence in the state was important because of his political ties and family connections, adding that his parents were still alive.

Wike: Tinubu cannot determine how states spend subsidy revenue

Wike also defended the autonomy of state and local governments in spending additional revenue received following the removal of the fuel subsidy.

Responding to Peter Obi’s comments on the use of the subsidy savings, Wike said attention should instead be directed at how state and local governments were using the additional funds.

“All he should have asked is, ‘having removed the subsidy, what do you do with the gains?’ This is what I think a reasonable person should talk about.

‘’Now, the government said the gains have been shared among sub-nationals. Tinubu has no power to say, ‘states, this is what you should do with the funds that you’ve from the fuel subsidy.’

“He has no power to tell local governments what to do with their money. All tiers of government are independent.”

According to Wike, the additional allocations had strengthened the finances of states and enabled some governments to improve their capacity to pay salaries, pensions and execute projects.

He also praised Tinubu for removing the subsidy, saying previous presidents had been unwilling to take the decision.

“Tinubu deserves kudos for taking the bold decision no president took. Now, it’s time for states to account for the funds they have got,” Wike said.

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