Wike: My 2027 Support Is for Tinubu, PDP Can Field Candidates

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said his support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 remains firm, but clarified that he never agreed that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would stop fielding candidates for other elections.

Wike made the clarification on Tuesday through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, while explaining his position on the political coalition backing Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The minister said the coalition was separate from the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing it as an arrangement involving politicians from different parties who believe Tinubu deserves another term based on his performance in office.

According to Wike, his decision to support Tinubu does not mean he has abandoned the PDP or agreed that the party should withdraw from governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly contests.

He said his focus is on mobilising support for Tinubu’s presidential re-election, while politicians should handle the political contests in their respective states on their own. He added that he would not take responsibility for helping individuals win elections in their states, urging politicians facing local political challenges to address them instead of linking such issues to the president’s re-election.

Wike also recalled that he and other members of the G5 did not enter into any agreement with the APC before supporting Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election. He maintained that his position for 2027 remains limited to supporting the president.

The minister said the outcome of the 2023 elections showed that voters could support different political parties at different levels. He cited Imo, Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi states, where the APC won some National Assembly seats despite recording weaker results in the presidential election.

Wike argued that the same pattern could happen in 2027, saying voters can support Tinubu for president while choosing candidates from other parties in state and legislative elections.

He urged political stakeholders to make the presidential election their immediate priority and deal with other elections after Tinubu has secured re-election. He said his role would be to mobilise support for the president across political parties.

Wike also said politics should no longer be based on claims that a candidate is coming from a particular position or has an advantage because of political calculations. Instead, he said politicians must build genuine support from polling units and work to win votes.

The FCT minister maintained that the coalition supporting Tinubu should not be mistaken for an APC structure. He said it was created as a broader platform for politicians from different parties who support the president’s bid for a second term.

He therefore reiterated that while he would work for Tinubu’s re-election, he had not promised that the PDP would refrain from contesting governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections in 2027.