2027: Wike Says Support For Tinubu Won’t Stop PDP From Fielding Candidates

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that his support for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027 remains unwavering, but stressed that such support does not mean the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will abandon other electoral contests.

Wike said he never promised that the PDP would refrain from fielding candidates for governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections in 2027.

The minister, in a statement issued on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, also clarified that the “rainbow coalition” supporting Tinubu’s re-election has no connection with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to him, the coalition is a platform bringing together members of different political parties who are satisfied with the performance of the President and willing to mobilise support for his second-term bid.

Wike said he did not meet with the APC before he and other members of the G5 Governors backed Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election, insisting that his position for 2027 remains specifically focused on the President.

“What I said and stand for is that I will mobilise support for the reelection of the President. I never promised anyone that PDP will not field candidates to contest governorship, National Assembly and States House of Assembly elections,” he said.

The minister also rejected attempts to use his support for Tinubu to influence political contests in individual states, saying politicians facing difficulties in their respective states should resolve them locally.

“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 reelection of the President to whip up sentiments,” Wike said.

He argued that the outcome of the 2023 elections demonstrated that voters could support different political parties at different levels without being confused.

Wike specifically cited Imo State, where he said the APC won two senatorial seats in 2023 despite recording less than 15 per cent of the presidential vote in the state.

“In Imo State under Governor Hope Uzodinma, how did APC win two senate seats in 2023, in an election held the same day with that of the President and APC had less than 15 percent in the presidential election? Was it rainbow coalition? Were the voters confused?” he asked.

He also cited the performance of the APC in National Assembly elections in Ebonyi, Abia and Enugu states, where, according to him, Tinubu secured less than 10 per cent of the presidential votes in some of the states.

“Was it rainbow coalition that also made APC to win National Assembly elections in Ebonyi, Abia and Enugu States where the President did not have ten percent of the votes?” he queried.

The FCT minister maintained that voters were capable of voting for Tinubu at the presidential level while supporting other parties in legislative or state elections.

“If in 2023, the voters in Imo, Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi voted APC in the Senatorial election and voted another party in the presidential election, they won’t be confused in 2027 provided we all support the president genuinely this time?” he asked.

Wike urged political stakeholders to prioritise Tinubu’s re-election before turning their attention to state-level contests.

“After the President must have been reelected, we can all go and face elections in our States,” he said.

He further dismissed what he described as an outdated approach to winning elections, stressing that political victory must be built through genuine grassroots mobilisation.

According to him, “politics is no longer about coming from fourth position to be governor,” but about building genuine support and winning from the polling units.

The minister reiterated that the rainbow coalition was not an APC project, but an effort by politicians across party lines to mobilise support for Tinubu based on their assessment of his performance.

“Most importantly, rainbow coalition has nothing to do with the APC. Rather, it is our own way of mobilising support across political parties for Mr President, who has done well to deserve a second term,” Wike said.