Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has explained that he could not have served as Director-General of President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 Presidential Campaign Council because he is not a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and does not want to jeopardise his political interests in Rivers State and the Federal Capital Territory.
Wike spoke on Saturday after inspecting the Apo-Karshi and Kubwa-Bwari roads in Abuja, a day after the Presidency announced the APC campaign council and appointed former Zamfara State Governor, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, as its Director-General. The minister said previous campaign directors-general had sometimes lost their states while campaigning for presidential candidates, adding that he did not want to face a similar situation.
Wike recalled that in 2015, the then Minister of Transport and former Rivers State Governor served as Director-General of Muhammadu Buhari’s presidential campaign but subsequently lost Rivers State.
“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 also referenced the 2019 election, when the former transport minister again served as a campaign director-general and lost his state. Wike cited former Senate President Bukola Saraki, who served as Director-General of Atiku Abubakar’s campaign in 2019, saying Saraki also lost his state and senatorial seat.
He further mentioned former Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal, who served as Atiku’s campaign DG in 2023 and lost Sokoto State. Wike also recalled that former Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong, who served as Director-General of the APC presidential campaign in 2023, lost his state during the election.
“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,” Wike said.
He added, “If you are DG and you don’t win your state, what is the essence of the DG?”
Wike also said his membership status made the possibility of heading the APC campaign council inappropriate. “I am not a member of APC. So the issue of their Presidential Campaign Council is out of the question,” he said.
He recalled that he and other politicians supported Tinubu’s emergence in 2023 without formally joining the APC campaign structure.
“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,” Wike said.
The minister said his support for Tinubu’s re-election would continue through a cross-party arrangement known as the “Rainbow Coalition.” He explained that politicians in different states could support the President’s re-election while retaining membership of their respective political parties.
“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 maintained that campaign positions should not be used to determine electoral strength, arguing that actual results would provide the clearest assessment after the 2027 elections.
“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,” he said.
The Presidency had announced the APC Presidential Campaign Council on Saturday, naming Yari as Director-General. Yari subsequently accepted the appointment and pledged to begin work immediately, promising to lead the campaign with discipline, unity and respect for Nigerians.
