2027: Why I won’t take APC campaign DG job

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has explained why he would not have accepted the position of Director-General of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council if President Bola Tinubu had offered it to him.

Wike spoke on Saturday while inspecting ongoing road projects in the Federal Capital Territory, including the 13-kilometre Apo-Karshi Road and the 14-kilometre Bwari-Kubwa Road.

The minister said he had no interest in occupying the campaign council’s top administrative position because he would rather concentrate on helping Tinubu secure victory in Rivers State and the FCT in the 2027 presidential election.

According to Wike, some individuals who previously headed presidential campaign councils failed to deliver their own states to their candidates at the polls.

He argued that there was little value in occupying a prominent campaign position if the person could not produce results in their home state when the election came.

“If you are a DG and you can’t win your state, what is the importance of the DG?” he said.

“If you cannot deliver a President in your state, so how can you say you won the election?, Wike asked.

Wike said he would therefore have turned down the role had Tinubu offered it to him.

He, however, pledged to support the APC campaign and said the political alliance involving members of his “rainbow coalition” was fully activated ahead of the election.

The minister said the coalition would work within its capacity to ensure Tinubu wins a second term in office.

Tinubu on Saturday constituted the APC Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 election, appointing former Zamfara State Governor, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, as Director-General and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, as Secretary.

The President and Vice President, Kashim Shettima, will serve as chairman and vice chairman of the council respectively.

The council will also include a team of senior political figures serving as advisers, including Bisi Akande, Segun Osoba, Senator Rochas Okorocha, Senator Abdullahi Adamu and Senator Florence Ita Giwa.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni were appointed deputy director-generals for the campaign in the southern and northern regions.

Senator Adams Oshiomhole will oversee mobilisation as deputy director-general, while the President’s Chief of Staff will serve as deputy director-general for administration.

Lagos lawmaker James Faleke, who played a key role in the 2022/2023 presidential campaign, will return as deputy director-general for election planning, coordination and monitoring.

The campaign council will also have zonal directors responsible for coordinating activities across the six geopolitical zones.