Wike Rejects Tinubu Campaign DG Role, Cites State-Winning Concerns

Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has revealed why he will not head President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 presidential campaign, saying he is not an APC member and would rather concentrate on delivering his states than take a campaign position.

Wike made the remarks on Saturday while inspecting the Apo-Karshi and Kubwa-Bwari road projects in Abuja.

His comments came shortly after the Presidency announced the APC Presidential Campaign Council, appointing former Zamfara Governor, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, as Director General.

Wike: “I Don’t Want to Lose My State”

Wike said his decision was influenced by the experiences of previous presidential campaign DGs who, he noted, lost their states despite leading national campaigns.

He mentioned Rotimi Amaechi, Bukola Saraki, Aminu Tambuwal and Simon Lalong.

“In 2015, the Minister of Transport was the governor of Rivers State. He was the DG of Muhammadu Buhari. Before you knew, I pulled the carpet off his feet. He lost. He didn’t get 25 percent,” Wike said.

He added that Amaechi also lost Rivers State in 2019 while serving as campaign DG, while Saraki lost Kwara State and his Senate seat after serving as Atiku Abubakar’s campaign DG.

“In 2019, he was Minister of Transport, he became the DG, and he lost his state too. Bukola Saraki was the DG of Atiku campaign in 2019. He was running around doing ‘Atikulated’.

“I called him, ‘Why are you doing Atikulated? Go home!’ He lost his state! Lost his own seat, too!”

Wike further recalled that Tambuwal and Lalong also lost their respective states in 2023 while serving as campaign DGs.

“In 2023, Aminu Tambuwal became DG of Atiku. He lost his state!

“In the same 2023, Lalong was the DG of APC, the present president. He lost his state!”

According to Wike, he does not want to repeat that experience.

“I don’t want to lose my state! I will be in my state. I have two states: FCT and Rivers. What is important is that you are able to deliver those two states. So it is not about being DG.

“If you are DG and you don’t win your state, what is the essence of the DG?” he asked.

Why APC Membership Matters

Wike also pointed out that he is not an APC member, making it inappropriate for him to head the party’s presidential campaign council.

“I am not a member of APC. So the issue of their Presidential Campaign Council is out of the question,” he said.

The minister stressed, however, that party membership was not a barrier to supporting Tinubu, noting that he and his allies backed Tinubu in 2023 without being members of the APC Presidential Campaign Council.

“When we were fighting for the President to be president in 2023, we were not members of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, but we were fighting.

“So, we had our own strategies on how the president would emerge,” he said.

Wike said the support is now being coordinated through what he described as a “Rainbow Coalition”, bringing politicians from different parties together to support Tinubu’s re-election while retaining their individual party identities.

He identified Kwara, Bayelsa, Rivers, Osun and Benue among the states where the arrangement is already in operation.

“Mind you, when we formed the Rainbow Coalition, so many parties were coming together, working together in some states to make sure that the President wins,” he said.

Wike also dismissed campaign positions as the ultimate measure of political influence, saying the real test would be the ability to deliver electoral victories at the state level.

“Nobody should use that as a yardstick to judge who will be the governor of any state. I think there is only one state that is clear that will produce a governor. It is my state. It is very clear.

“The other ones, we don’t know what will happen,” he said.

More Projects Expected Before 2027

On infrastructure, Wike said he was pleased with the progress of the Apo-Karshi and Kubwa-Bwari roads and expressed confidence that both would be completed before the end of the year.

He also disclosed that his original target of completing 10 projects before the 2027 general election could be surpassed, with more than 10 projects now expected to be completed before the election.

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