By Ayomide Otitoju
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has clarified that his support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 does not prevent the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from fielding candidates in other elections.
Wike said he would mobilise support for Tinubu’s re-election while the PDP remains free to contest governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections.
The minister made the clarification in a statement on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka.
Wike also dismissed suggestions that the proposed “rainbow coalition” was an arrangement with the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing it instead as a platform for members of different political parties to mobilise support for Tinubu.
He said he would not be responsible for helping individuals secure victory in elections in their respective states, arguing that political disputes at the state level should be resolved locally.
“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.
The FCT minister recalled that he and other members of the G5 did not meet with the APC before supporting Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election.
He argued that electoral outcomes should be based on mobilisation and support at the polling-unit level rather than assumptions about political alliances.
Wike cited the 2023 elections in Imo, Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi states, where voters supported different parties in presidential and National Assembly elections.
He questioned how the APC won two senatorial seats in Imo State despite, according to him, securing less than 15 per cent of the presidential vote in the state.
He also cited APC victories in National Assembly elections in Ebonyi, Abia and Enugu, where he said Tinubu received less than 10 per cent of the presidential vote.
“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?” he asked.
Wike urged political stakeholders to prioritise Tinubu’s re-election before focusing on contests in their respective states.
“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 States House of Assembly elections,” he said.
He added that the “rainbow coalition” had no connection with the APC but was, according to him, a means of mobilising support across political parties for Tinubu.
