2027: Wike’s Tinubu endorsement ignites firestorm from opposition

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has come under heavy fire from opposition parties following his open endorsement of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.

Wike, a former Governor of Rivers State and a prominent figure in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), declared during a media parley in Abuja on Monday that he would play a leading role in securing Tinubu’s second term. He described himself as a political “asset” and dared his party to suspend him for alleged anti-party activities.

“I am still in the PDP. I worked hard for the party. I have not seen anybody who has the guts to tell me, ‘Wike, you are not a member of the party.’ Who is that? What is his contribution to the party that is more than mine?” Wike asked defiantly.

His remarks drew sharp rebukes from major opposition blocs, including the PDP, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), and the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), all of which accused Wike of betraying democratic ideals and actively working to undermine the opposition.

The PDP’s Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, urged Nigerians to disregard Wike’s comments, warning that the party would soon invoke disciplinary measures against him.

In a strongly worded statement, CUPP’s Publicity Secretary, Mark Adebayo, described Wike as “President Tinubu’s hatchet man,” alleging that he was being used to weaken and dismantle the opposition ahead of the 2027 elections.

The NNPP also weighed in, dismissing Wike’s endorsement as inconsequential and insisting that President Tinubu would be defeated in the next general election, regardless of the minister’s support.

Justifying his decision not to back the PDP’s 2023 presidential candidate, Wike accused the party of breaching an internal agreement to zone the presidency to the South.

“In 2023, did I not say I wouldn’t support their presidential candidate? Based on equity, justice, and fairness, the presidency should have gone to the South. You can’t have both the presidential ticket and the national chairmanship,” he said.

He claimed his stance was not anti-party but based on principle, insisting that the party leadership prioritized its own interest, assuming Atiku Abubakar would win the election.

“Why didn’t I leave the party and join APC? Of all of us then and even the current PDP governors, who produced 100 percent in the National Assembly? Who produced a governor? Ask them how many senators they have in their states,” Wike argued.

Doubling down on his relevance, the FCT Minister boasted, “I am not a liability, I am an asset. Whether you agree or not, I am an asset. Whether you want to die or not, I am an asset. It doesn’t matter if you don’t like me — I am an asset to ensuring Tinubu wins his second term.”

Wike’s bold declaration has further deepened the cracks within the PDP and heightened tensions across Nigeria’s political landscape as the countdown to 2027 begins.