President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is set to appoint the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, as coordinator of his re-election campaign in Rivers State and the FCT, despite reported opposition from some governors and leaders of the All Progressives Congress.
Arise News, citing sources familiar with the ongoing reconstitution of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, reported that Wike’s name would be included in a revised list expected to be released by the ruling party.
The proposed appointment would place the former Rivers State governor in charge of mobilising support for Tinubu in Rivers and Abuja ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The development is expected to generate fresh political controversy because Wike remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party and has repeatedly declared that he has no intention of defecting to the APC.
According to the report, Wike will retain his PDP membership while openly coordinating political support for Tinubu’s re-election. He is also expected to support candidates associated with his political interests in other elections, irrespective of their parties.
The arrangement appears to confirm Wike’s growing influence within the President’s political machinery, despite persistent objections from some APC governors who are reportedly uncomfortable with his continued membership of the opposition party.
Among those believed to have expressed reservations about Wike’s expanding role is the Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, whose administration has recently criticised the FCT minister and the Rainbow Coalition associated with him.
Officials of the Kwara State Government had questioned Wike’s decision to remain in the PDP while supporting Tinubu and backing opposition candidates in National Assembly and state elections.
They argued that Wike’s political arrangement could weaken the APC at other levels, particularly if the President won re-election but the ruling party failed to secure a majority in the National Assembly.
However, Tinubu’s reported decision to entrust Rivers State and the FCT to Wike suggests that the President may have chosen political reach and electoral value over the objections of some APC governors.
Wike played a crucial role in Tinubu’s victory in Rivers State during the 2023 presidential election, despite being a prominent PDP governor at the time.
His political structure worked against the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, following the internal crisis triggered by the party’s refusal to accommodate the demands of the G5 governors.
Since Tinubu assumed office, Wike has remained one of the most influential figures in the administration and is the only prominent PDP leader serving in the federal cabinet.
Under the proposed campaign structure, Wike is expected to coordinate Tinubu’s campaign across both Rivers State and the FCT, where he currently serves as minister.
His inclusion would give him formal responsibility within the President’s campaign while allowing him to remain in the PDP and mobilise political allies across party lines.
