File photo: FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has reiterated that his support for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu in 2027 remains sacrosanct.
He added that he never promised that the Peoples Democratic Party would not field candidates for governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections in 2027.
The minister made the clarification in a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka.
The statement further clarified that Wike said the rainbow coalition had no connection with the All Progressives Congress, describing it as a platform for members of different political parties supporting Tinubu’s re-election based on their assessment of his performance.
“Politics is local, and those having problems in their states should resolve them instead of using the re-election of the President to whip up sentiments,” Wike said.
He recalled that he never met with the APC before he and other members of the G5 supported Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election, stressing that his “support in 2027 remained solely for the President”.
He said politics was no longer about coming from fourth position to become governor, but about genuinely mobilising support and winning elections from the polling units.
The minister asked, “In Imo State, under Governor Hope Uzodimma, how did APC win two Senate seats in 2023, in an election held the same day as that of the President, when APC had less than 15 per cent in the presidential election? Was it a rainbow coalition? Were the voters confused?
“Was it a rainbow coalition that also made APC win National Assembly elections in Ebonyi, Abia and Enugu states, where the President did not have 10 per cent of the votes?
“If in 2023, the voters in Imo, Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi voted APC in the senatorial election and voted another party in the presidential election, they won’t be confused in 2027, provided we all support the President genuinely this time?”
Wike urged political stakeholders to prioritise the presidential election, saying, “After the President has been re-elected, we can all go and face elections in our states.”
He said his position had always been to mobilise support for Tinubu’s re-election and denied making any commitment that would prevent the PDP from fielding candidates in other elections.
“What I said and stand for is that I will mobilise support for the re-election of the President. I never promised anyone that PDP will not field candidates to contest governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections.
“Most importantly, the rainbow coalition has nothing to do with the APC. Rather, it is our own way of mobilising support across political parties for Mr President, who has done well to deserve a second term,” he said.
