2027: Real reason I won’t contest against Tinubu – Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that he will not contest the 2027 presidential election, citing loyalty to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as his reason.

Speaking during his monthly media chat in Abuja on Monday, the former Rivers State governor explained that his decision was guided by integrity and principle. According to him, it would be wrong to challenge the political mandate of the man who appointed him to his current position.

Wike also addressed speculations surrounding the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) zoning of its presidential ticket to the South, stressing that even though he hails from the region, he has no intention of running against Tinubu in 2027.

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“I will not run. I have integrity, I have character. There is no way my appointer is there, and we are saying he should run, and then I turn around and say I should run,” he said.

Wike further stressed that his choice was not driven by political expediency but by a commitment to honouring those who entrusted him with responsibility.

Speaking further, Wike said the PDP would have collapsed if not for his commitment to the party, stressing that he could still influence events within the opposition even without holding a governorship position.

He said, “I have said if we don’t love PDP, by now you won’t be hearing that name. I don’t need to be a governor for me to do what I want to do.

“One thing people don’t understand is if you have a problem, don’t continue to give yourself more problems, try to restrict yourself to the small one you have than to add up other problems.

“No opposition party can survive when they have a serious crisis. The duty of the opposition party is to see whatever way they can solve their problem, and it’s not by being arrogant and doing impunity. I don’t need to be a governor before I cause a small problem.”