President Bola Tinubu has given Nyesom Wike, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, a defined role in his 2027 re-election campaign. Wike, a former Rivers state governor, is expected to emerge as coordinator of the campaign structure in Rivers State and the FCT. This move is designed to harness Wike's political network without formally placing him inside the hierarchy of the All Progressives Congress (APC), a party he has repeatedly said he does not belong to.
The arrangement is also aimed at avoiding clashes between Wike and several APC governors over how support for Tinubu should be organised ahead of the 2027 elections. Wike has insisted that he does not require membership of the APC or a position in the party's Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) to work for Tinubu's re-election. He has rejected suggestions that he was seeking the director general's position in the campaign council, saying his concern was to deliver Rivers State and the FCT for the President.
Wike's new role will give him presidential campaign responsibility in two strategic territories where he claims substantial influence. The emerging campaign structure is being assembled, but there will not be a single chain of command running through the entire council. Former Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, will serve as Director General of the Presidential Campaign Council.
However, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, will not report to Yari. Instead, they will operate independently and have direct lines of responsibility within the bigger campaign structure. This arrangement reflects the political weight of the two presiding officers of the National Assembly and the desire to accommodate the different power centres expected to participate in Tinubu's re-election campaign.
The proposed framework is designed to give some of the party's most influential figures distinct spheres of responsibility. Yari will coordinate the day-to-day operations of the presidential campaign council as director general, while Akpabio and Barau will have separate responsibilities. This effort aims to accommodate the various political blocs and influential figures expected to play prominent roles in Tinubu's 2027 re-election campaign.
The arrangement also takes into account the growing disagreement between Wike and several APC governors over how support for Tinubu should be organised. By giving Wike a clearly defined role, the President is moving to streamline the former governor's role in the 2027 journey. Minister Wike is tipped to work closely with the campaign council, with Festus Keyamo reportedly considered as campaign spokesperson.
The new campaign structure is expected to be formally unveiled soon, with Wike's role as coordinator of the FCT and Rivers State campaign structures being a key aspect of Tinubu's re-election bid. The President's move to give Wike a defined role is seen as a strategic effort to harness the former governor's influence in the two territories.
Key points
- Wike to coordinate APC campaign in FCT, Rivers State for Tinubu's 2027 re-election
- No single chain of command in the presidential campaign council
- Wike retains PDP membership despite working for APC-led Tinubu campaign
