2027: Wike Pledges Rivers, FCT Votes for Tinubu, Declares Himself PDP Leader

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has pledged that Rivers State and the FCT will deliver massive votes for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, while declaring himself the sole leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Wike spoke on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, during the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council at the State House Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Addressing the gathering, Wike said he was speaking as an opposition party member and insisted that there was no other leader of the PDP apart from him.

“For me, as an opposition party member, as the leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, there are not two leaders of the PDP. I’m the leader of the PDP, so I speak on behalf of the Peoples Democratic Party,” he said.

The FCT minister disclosed that he only learnt from a newspaper that he had been appointed to coordinate Tinubu’s campaign in Rivers State and the FCT. He, however, accepted the responsibility and pledged to mobilise support for the President in both areas.

“Simple, there is no too much work for me. It’s Rivers and FCT, and let me say and pledge, by the grace of God, Rivers and FCT will vote massively for Bola Ahmed Tinubu. That is my job,” Wike said.

He warned members of the campaign council that winning the presidential election nationally would not be enough if coordinators failed to deliver their respective states. According to him, campaign officials must demonstrate measurable electoral support in their assigned areas rather than rely on titles or positions.

“If you don’t deliver your state and the president wins, don’t say we have won,” he said, adding that coordinators should take responsibility for the results in their jurisdictions.

Wike also expressed support for Tinubu’s leadership, arguing that the President had taken on difficult issues that previous administrations had identified but failed to address. He cited the debate over state police as an example, saying successive governments had discussed the proposal without taking decisive steps towards its implementation.

The minister expressed optimism that the establishment of state police would advance in the coming months. However, his comments reflected his expectation rather than confirmation that the proposal had been approved or enacted.

Wike further argued that opposition politics should not mean rejecting every action taken by the ruling party. He said democratic opposition should criticise areas where the government falls short while acknowledging policies and decisions considered beneficial to the country.

“Democracy is not that if the ruling party is doing well, because you are in opposition, you say they are not doing well. That is not democracy,” he stated.

He expressed confidence that Tinubu would emerge victorious in the January 16, 2027, presidential election, predicting that campaign officials would return to the Presidential Villa after the poll to celebrate the outcome.

Wike was named coordinator for Rivers State and the FCT in a revised APC presidential campaign council list released on Tuesday. He also defended the inclusion of politicians who are not APC members, saying Tinubu had indicated that individuals outside the party who had something to contribute should be involved.

The APC is scheduled to flag off its presidential campaign in Kaduna on October 24, according to the supplied report, as political parties and campaign groups intensify preparations for the 2027 election.