From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared himself a key asset to President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 presidential campaign and has pledged to lead the campaign efforts in Rivers State.
Speaking during a live media chat yesterday, Wike emphasised his political relevance and influence, asserting that despite ongoing challenges within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he remains a pivotal figure capable of delivering electoral success to Tinubu.
“I came out. You have seen me here. I said I will support Asiwaju. The way we won other elections, that’s the way we will win. I’m not a liability. I’m an asset. Whether you agree or you don’t agree, I’m an asset. Whether you want to die or you don’t want to die, I’m an asset. No matter what, you may not like me but your liking me or not liking me will change nothing. I’m an asset to making sure that Tinubu wins a second tenure.”
He stressed his readiness to mobilise support for Tinubu in Rivers State, a key battleground in Nigeria’s political landscape. His declaration comes amid speculation about his future within the PDP and ongoing internal tensions within the party.
When confronted with rumours that he might contest against President Tinubu in 2027, he declared: “Are you not aware that I will lead the campaign in Rivers State? Oh, you want me to say no? Are you not aware that he did not get up to 10 percent there but he will win here?”
Confirming his support for Tinubu and that he will lead the campaign, the minister said: “Of course, is that hidden? Because I have said the South must produce the president.”
Reacting to former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi’s comment during an event marking his 60th birthday last week, he dismissed the comment as junk. Amaechi has said: “We’re all hungry, all of us are. If you’re not hungry, I am. For us, the opposition, if you want us to remove the man in power, we can remove him from this power. In Nigeria, there are no capitalist ideas among the politicians; it’s about sharing.”
But Wike responded with a lengthy critique, saying: “You know one thing I don’t like about Nigerians, we have the time to listen to junks.”
When reminded that Amaechi is an influential figure, he retorted: “Who’s influential? What makes them influential? You think they’re influential?”
He then recounted Amaechi’s political career, saying: “He was Speaker from 1999 to 2007, reading law in London as Speaker. Eight years as Speaker, eight years as governor, he never talked about hunger. He became minister of transport from 2015 to 2023, borrowing money for Afreximbank, he didn’t talk about hunger. Two years after leaving office, he says he’s hungry. You’re only hungry for power. That shows failure on his part.”
He accused Amaechi of insulting Nigerians by trivialising hunger. “Why do you insult Nigerians? Why do you trivialise hunger or poverty? Why do you do that? You join Atiku (Abubakar) and (Mallam Nasir) El-Rufai because you are hungry. Have you not insulted Nigerians? It’s just that you can’t stay out of power. That’s hunger.”
He also questioned Amaechi’s political influence. “He couldn’t produce a successor as governor, couldn’t give Buhari even 25 percent in Rivers State, was DG of Buhari’s campaign in 2019 but failed to deliver. In 2023, he supported Atiku and they didn’t even get 10 percent. So, what is his influence?”
On PDP’s survival amid infighting and the possibility of explosion before 2027, he defiantly said: “If I say something about PDP today and they are telling me to leave the PDP, you are not the one to tell me to leave the party. Let them leave the party.”
He acknowledged that there are leadership problems in the party, attributing it to plans by some people to kill the party: “Some people want to kill it. We say it will not die. We’ll make sure it will not die. That’s why we don’t allow them to get what they want.”
He pointed to recent losses in Delta and Akwa Ibom states as leadership failures. “You won’t tell me they didn’t have the intelligence that Delta will go. You won’t tell me they had no intelligence that Akwa Ibom will go. Leadership, what would you do? Send a team to ask why? But no, instead they say ‘let them go.’ Opposition does not do impunity. We try to say, beg, put everybody together. You don’t say, let them go.”
Addressing questions on his future within the PDP, he dismissed insinuations of political uncertainty. “What do you mean by my future? Was I not in PDP before? Am I not in PDP? What do you mean by my future?” he asked rhetorically. Referring to Tinubu’s presidency, he said: “Is it because of Asiwaju’s presidency, is it what you are talking about?”
When confronted with reports that he might run against Tinubu, he shot back, saying, “Are you not aware that I will lead the campaign in Rivers State? Oh, you want me to say it?