By Blessing Fali
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has explained why he would not have accepted the position of Director General of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 election.
Wike said his priority was to ensure that President Bola Tinubu wins Rivers State and the Federal Capital Territory, rather than take up a national campaign position that could distract him from his political responsibilities in the two areas.
Speaking on Saturday after inspecting the Apo-Karshi and Kubwa-Bwari road projects in Abuja, Wike said he did not want to repeat the experience of previous presidential campaign directors general who lost their home states during elections.
He recalled that several politicians who served as campaign DGs in previous presidential elections failed to secure victory in their respective states. According to him, former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, lost Rivers State while serving as President Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign DG in 2015, while Bukola Saraki and Aminu Tambuwal also lost their states after leading presidential campaigns in 2019 and 2023 respectively.
Wike said, “I don’t want to lose my state. I will be in my state. I have two states, FCT and Rivers. What is important is that you are able to deliver those two states. So it is not about being DG. If you are DG and you don’t win your state, what is the essence of the DG?”
The minister also pointed out that he is not a member of the APC, making his membership of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council unlikely.
He maintained that he would continue supporting Tinubu’s re-election bid through the cross-party “Rainbow Coalition”, which brings together politicians from different political parties working towards the President’s victory in 2027.
The Presidency had earlier announced the composition of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, naming former Zamfara State Governor and serving Senator, Abdulaziz Yari, as Director General.
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