Tinubu Moves to Define Wike’s Role in 2027 Campaign Amid APC Tensions
President Bola Tinubu is considering a clearly defined role for the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, in his 2027 re-election campaign, with the former Rivers State governor expected to coordinate the presidential campaign structure in Rivers State and the FCT.
The proposed arrangement, according to sources familiar with the emerging campaign structure, would allow Tinubu to utilise Wike’s political network in the two territories without requiring him to formally join the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Wike remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), despite his open support for Tinubu’s re-election bid. He has repeatedly maintained that he does not need to defect to the APC or occupy a formal position within its presidential campaign council before working for the President.
The development comes amid disagreements between Wike and some APC governors over the organisation of political support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.
A report by THISDAY on Monday said the emerging arrangement was intended to give Wike responsibility for coordinating presidential campaign activities in Rivers and the FCT, where he has repeatedly claimed considerable political influence. The report also said the arrangement was being considered as a way of reducing possible clashes among influential figures involved in the campaign.
Wike had earlier rejected suggestions that he was seeking the position of Director-General of Tinubu’s Presidential Campaign Council. He has instead argued that his primary objective is to mobilise support for the President and secure the presidential vote in Rivers and the FCT.
The proposed campaign architecture is also expected to accommodate several influential political figures without necessarily creating a conventional single chain of command.
Former Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari is expected to serve as Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Council. However, according to the report, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau are not expected to report directly to Yari, with both National Assembly leaders expected to have separate responsibilities within the wider campaign structure.
The arrangement is reportedly intended to recognise the political influence of different blocs supporting Tinubu while assigning distinct areas of responsibility.
Wike’s proposed role comes against the background of his growing disagreement with some APC governors over his Rainbow Coalition.
The former Rivers governor has promoted the coalition as a platform for mobilising support for Tinubu across party lines. He has maintained that the coalition is separate from the APC and is designed to bring politicians from different parties together in support of the President.
However, the Progressive Governors Forum, led by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, has rejected political arrangements that it believes could weaken the APC or affect the party’s candidates in the 2027 elections.
The APC governors said they would not support alliances capable of creating divided loyalty or parallel political structures.
Wike subsequently defended the Rainbow Coalition, maintaining that its objective was specifically to support Tinubu’s presidential re-election rather than replace or undermine the APC.
He also said the President was aware of his political activities and the coalition’s mobilisation efforts.
The disagreement has highlighted a broader question about how politicians outside the APC can participate in Tinubu’s re-election campaign while maintaining their identities and political structures in their respective parties.
Wike has consistently argued that supporting a presidential candidate does not require politicians to abandon their parties or surrender their political structures.
His political relationship with Tinubu dates back to the 2023 presidential election, when Wike and four other PDP governors, known as the G5, refused to support the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
The G5 governors had demanded changes in the PDP’s internal power-sharing arrangement before the election. Wike subsequently supported Tinubu’s presidential bid while remaining a member of the PDP.
After Tinubu assumed office, the President appointed Wike as Minister of the FCT, making him one of the most prominent opposition-party politicians serving in the Federal Government.
Since then, Wike has publicly defended several policies of the Tinubu administration and has repeatedly expressed support for the President’s 2027 re-election.
In Rivers State, Wike has also argued that Tinubu’s administration has demonstrated sufficient commitment to the state to warrant political support.
The proposed campaign responsibility would nevertheless be particularly sensitive in Rivers, where Wike’s successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, has his own political base and where the former governor’s influence remains a significant factor in state politics.
The arrangement is therefore being viewed as an attempt to define Wike’s role around the presidential election without necessarily giving him authority over the wider APC organisation in Rivers State.
In the FCT, Wike has also built a prominent political and administrative profile since becoming minister. He has previously expressed his intention to mobilise support for Tinubu in the capital territory and has spoken of his determination to secure the territory for the President in 2027.
Meanwhile, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo is being considered for a prominent communications role in the campaign structure.
Keyamo has significant experience in presidential campaign communication. He served as a spokesperson and Director of Public Affairs during Tinubu’s 2023 presidential campaign and also played a senior communications role during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2019 re-election campaign.
He later served as Minister of State for Labour and Employment under Buhari before becoming Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development under Tinubu.
His reported consideration for a senior campaign communications position would therefore draw on his previous experience in presidential election campaigns and government communication.
The emerging structure reflects the complexity of Tinubu’s 2027 campaign, which is expected to bring together APC leaders, elected officials and politicians from outside the ruling party who support the President’s re-election.
For Wike, the proposed arrangement would provide a formal campaign responsibility while allowing him to retain his PDP membership.
However, the extent of his authority and his relationship with APC structures in Rivers and the FCT could remain a subject of discussion as the campaign organisation takes shape.
As of Monday, the reported role for Wike was an emerging arrangement rather than a formally announced appointment. The final structure and responsibilities of the presidential campaign organisation will determine how the different political blocs and support groups operate ahead of the 2027 election.
