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• Say other presidential candidates no threat to Tinubu
• I never lobbied to be APC campaign DG –Wike
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye and Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Ahead of the 2027 presidential election, leaders and stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have dismissed moves by opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, to form a political alliance against President Bola Tinubu, saying the development poses no threat to the President’s re-election.
The APC stakeholders said the party would campaign on the record of the Tinubu administration and present what they described as verifiable facts about its performance to Nigerians.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, stated this at the inauguration and official unveiling of the Renewed Hope Project 2027, with the theme, “A New Beginning, A Shared Vision, With Greater Nigeria,” in Abuja. Akume, who is the Grand Patron of the group, was represented at the event by his Senior Special Assistant, Technical, Babatunde Bernard.
He said members, chieftains and leaders of the APC would use facts about the administration’s achievements to mobilise support for Tinubu’s re-election.
Akume said the administration was addressing some of the country’s structural challenges, citing the local government autonomy initiative and digital reforms as examples of measures aimed at strengthening governance and improving service delivery.
He also said the administration’s policies had generated renewed hope among Nigerians, adding that the growing interest of foreign investors in the country indicated increasing confidence in Nigeria’s economy.
Earlier, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the group, retired Major General Abdulmalik Jibril, dismissed moves by opposition politicians to form a common front against the APC.
Jibril described the proposed alliance involving Atiku, Obi, former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke and other political actors as an “exercise in futility.”
He said the outcome of the 2027 election would be determined by the performance of the Tinubu administration rather than political calculations.
“All put together is an exercise in futility. We have seen them before; they have done nothing and they are not going to do anything again. So, we are not perturbed at all. We don’t care about what they do,” he said.
Jibril said the election should not be reduced to political rhetoric, arguing that Nigerians would assess the administration based on its record and the impact of its policies.
He challenged the opposition to identify an administration that had delivered achievements comparable to those of the Tinubu government.
“If anybody has done anything similar or above what we have done in this administration, let him come forward with it. It is not an issue of argument or just talk. It is a question of what people can see on the ground,” he said. He also rejected comparisons between the current political environment and the circumstances that led to the APC’s victory over the Goodluck Jonathan administration in 2015.
Meanwhile, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said his priority is to support President Tinubu’s re-election, while denying reports that he is lobbying to become Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council.
Wike, through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, said he had neither sought the position nor discussed the leadership or membership of the proposed campaign council with anyone.
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The minister said he was currently outside Nigeria taking a break after spending more than 30 days supervising projects across the FCT.
“I am outside Nigeria, resting and relaxing after spending over 30 days, commissioning projects, flagging off new ones and inspecting ongoing ones, especially those scheduled for commissioning in December and January, next year,” he said.
Wike said that upon his return, his focus would be on implementing the FCT mandate in line with the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda and improving Tinubu’s electoral prospects in Rivers State and the FCT.
“When I return, our focus will be the continuous delivery of our mandate in line with the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda and to further enhance his electoral fortune in Rivers State and the FCT,” he said.
He added that he did not need to hold any formal position in the APC campaign organisation to support the President’s re-election.
“Therefore, I do not need to be the DG or even member of the Presidential Campaign Council of Mr President’s political party to contribute my quota by ensuring that he wins handsomely in Rivers State and the FCT,” Wike said.
Also, former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has reaffirmed his support for a Southern presidency in 2027, saying his backing for Tinubu’s re-election and political alignment with Wike remain unchanged.
Ortom was reacting to a report by a group identified as the International Centre for Transparency Nigeria (ICTN), which alleged that he was involved in an arrangement to support Atiku in the 2027 presidential election.
In a statement signed by his Media Assistant, Paul Terhide, the former governor described the allegation as false and inconsistent with his long-standing position on power rotation and equity.
Ortom recalled that ahead of the 2023 elections, he and four other PDP governors, known as the G-5, had advocated the rotation of the presidency to the South after eight years of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
He said his position remained unchanged and that he had no reason to support a northern presidential candidate in 2027.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Chief Samuel Ortom believes that the presidency should remain in the South in 2027. He therefore has no reason whatsoever to support Alhaji Atiku Abubakar or any other northern candidate for President in 2027,” the statement said.
Ortom also reaffirmed his alignment with Wike, saying there had been no development to suggest that he had abandoned the political position they shared during the 2023 elections.
He said meetings involving him and other prominent Benue stakeholders were consultations aimed at building a broad strategic alliance for the interests of the state.
The former governor also said the SGF, George Akume, remained the political leader of Benue State and expressed support for his success in his national assignment.
The developments come as political parties and politicians intensify consultations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
