Nigeria’s Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has announced that he declined to serve as the Director-General of President Bola Tinubu‘s 2027 Presidential Campaign Council for the All Progressives Congress, APC, to avoid losing control of his political strongholds.
The minister provided his reasoning after inspecting road projects in the capital, where DECENCY GLOBAL NEWS reports that Wike explicitly stated his non-membership in the ruling party and his focus on regional electoral delivery. His comments followed the announcement by the Presidency that former Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari would lead the campaign council.
Wike cited historical examples of campaign directors who failed to secure their own states. “In 2015, the Minister of Transport was the governor of Rivers State,” Wike said. “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. In 2019, he was Minister of Transport, he became the DG, and he lost his state too. Bukola Saraki was the DG of Atiku campaign in 2019. He was running around doing ‘Atikulated’.”
He continued detailing past electoral losses by campaign managers. “I called him, ‘Why are you doing Atikulated? Go home!’ He lost his state! Lost his own seat, too! In 2023, Aminu Tambuwal became DG of Atiku. He lost his state!” Wike said. “In the same 2023, Lalong was the DG of APC, the present president. He lost his state!”
Wike prioritized local results over national campaign titles. “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,” he said. “If you are DG and you don’t win your state, what is the essence of the DG?”
Clarifying his political affiliation, Wike stated his support for the president operates through different channels. “I am not a member of APC. So the issue of their Presidential Campaign Council is out of the question,” Wike said. “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. 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.”
