Wike Supports Tinubu’s 2027 Bid, Keeps His Distance from APC

By Al-Amin Ciroma

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has reaffirmed his support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s bid for a second term, insisting that the opposition faces a difficult task in trying to unseat the incumbent in the 2027 presidential election.

Wike, a former governor of Rivers State and prominent figure in the Peoples Democratic Party, has increasingly positioned himself in support of the Tinubu administration despite retaining his membership of the opposition party.

The National Lens reports that his stance has continued to generate political debate, particularly as preparations for the 2027 general elections intensify and opposition parties work towards building a coalition capable of challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress.

Wike has previously declared that he would support Tinubu’s re-election and take an active role in the campaign in Rivers State, a position that has placed him at odds with sections of the PDP leadership and other opposition figures.

The FCT minister’s latest position comes against the backdrop of growing political realignments ahead of the 2027 elections, with several prominent politicians moving between parties and negotiating new alliances.

Wike has argued that defeating an incumbent president requires more than a collection of influential politicians. According to him, an opposition seeking to take power must establish a strong political structure, maintain grassroots presence and sustain its mobilisation over a considerable period.

He has also maintained that the political environment facing Tinubu in 2027 is different from that of the 2023 election, when the president contested amid a highly competitive three-way presidential race.

In recent remarks following the Osun State governorship election, Wike described the opposition as politically weakened and suggested that the 2027 presidential contest could be considerably easier for Tinubu than the 2023 race.

“If it is this 2027 election against Bola Ahmed Tinubu, forget it. It’s over,” Wike was quoted as saying.

The minister attributed the perceived advantage of the ruling camp to what he described as weaknesses within the opposition, including divisions and the absence of a sufficiently coordinated national structure.

His comments are likely to further intensify debate within the PDP, where his continued participation in the party while serving in the APC-led federal government has remained one of the major sources of internal controversy.

Wike was one of the five governors popularly known as the G5 during the 2023 election cycle. The group opposed the presidential campaign of the PDP's candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and demanded changes within the party before the election.

The political consequences of that dispute have continued to shape opposition politics, with Wike now openly backing the president whose administration he serves.

As the 2027 election approaches, the minister's position represents another significant development in the widening political realignment around Tinubu's re-election bid.

For the opposition, the challenge will be to convert its growing political alliances into a coherent national campaign capable of overcoming the advantages enjoyed by an incumbent president and the governing party.

The coming months are therefore expected to witness intensified negotiations, defections and coalition-building as Nigeria's major political blocs position themselves for what is shaping up to be a fiercely contested 2027 presidential election.