2027: PDP may field candidates despite Tinubu support — Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has clarified that his support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 does not prevent the Peoples Democratic Party from fielding candidates in other elections.

Wike said his commitment to Tinubu’s second-term bid remained firm, but stressed that he had never promised that the PDP would not contest governorship, National Assembly and state House of Assembly elections.

The minister made the clarification in a statement issued 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 between the PDP and the All Progressives Congress.

According to him, the coalition is a platform for members of different political parties who support Tinubu’s re-election because of what they consider the achievements of his administration.

“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.

Wike recalled that he and other members of the G5 did not meet with the APC before supporting Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election.

He said his support in 2027 was directed specifically at the president and should not be interpreted as an agreement to help politicians secure elective positions in their respective states.

“I won’t be the one to help people to win elections in their states. 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,” he said.

The minister urged political stakeholders to prioritise Tinubu’s presidential election before turning their attention to state-level contests.

“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,” Wike said.

“After the President must have been re-elected, we can all go and face elections in our states.”

Wike argued that voters could support different political parties in presidential and legislative elections, noting that such voting patterns had occurred in the 2023 elections.

He cited the victories recorded by APC candidates in senatorial and other National Assembly elections in Imo, Abia, Ebonyi and Enugu states, despite the party’s relatively poor performance in the presidential poll in some of the states.

“In Imo State under Governor Hope Uzodinma, how did APC win two senate seats in 2023, in an election held the same day with that of the President and APC had less than 15 percent in the presidential election? Was it rainbow coalition? Were the voters confused?” he asked.

Wike also questioned whether voters in the South-East who supported APC candidates for legislative positions while backing another party for president would be unable to repeat the pattern in 2027.

He said political support should be mobilised genuinely at the polling-unit level, rather than being based on claims that a politician moved from a distant position to become governor.

“Politics is no longer about coming from fourth position to be governor. It is about genuinely mobilising support and winning elections from the polling units,” he said.

The minister maintained that stakeholders who had disagreements within their states should resolve them locally instead of linking such disputes to Tinubu’s re-election campaign.