Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has challenged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remove him from office if he fails to secure electoral support for the President in the FCT and Rivers State during the 2027 general elections.
Wike made the declaration while speaking about his political activities and plans ahead of the 2027 elections, linking his continued relevance in the FCT Ministry to his ability to mobilise political support for Tinubu in the nation’s capital and his home state.
The former Rivers State governor described himself as a “practical person” and said he would not consider himself deserving of his ministerial position if residents of the FCT did not support Tinubu at the polls.
According to him, electoral performance should demonstrate whether the people appreciate the work being carried out by an administration.
“If I cannot deliver the capital territory then I am not worthy to be here. It would mean that whatever I have been doing here, the people do not think I am doing anything and I do not qualify to be in the position,” Wike said.
The minister extended the same argument to Rivers State, where he served as governor for eight years before his appointment as FCT Minister by Tinubu.
Wike said he would also regard failure to secure Rivers State for the President as evidence that he had not achieved the political objective he had set for himself.
“I am a practical person. If I lose the FCT, I am not supposed to be the FCT Minister. If I cannot win my state, so what am I shouting about? So I am not qualified to be FCT Minister also,” he said.
He subsequently asked Tinubu to act on the declaration if he failed to deliver the two territories during the 2027 elections.
“Tell the President I have said so: ‘If I do not deliver, remove me from the position,’” the minister said.
The statement comes against the backdrop of political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections and Wike’s continued public support for Tinubu’s bid for a second presidential term.
Wike, a prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has been among the opposition politicians who have publicly supported Tinubu since the 2023 presidential election. His position has generated political debate within the PDP and across the wider opposition landscape.
However, Wike has clarified that his support for Tinubu at the presidential level should not automatically be interpreted as support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) or its candidates in every election.
In an earlier statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, the minister said he never promised that the PDP would not field candidates for governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections in 2027.
Wike maintained that his position was specifically focused on mobilising political support for Tinubu’s re-election as President, while political parties and politicians remained free to nominate candidates for other electoral contests.
The minister argued that supporting a presidential candidate did not require political parties to abandon their candidates at the state and legislative levels.
His position is significant in the context of the political arrangements expected to emerge before the 2027 elections, particularly as parties prepare for presidential, governorship, National Assembly and state assembly contests.
Wike has also rejected suggestions that the so-called “Rainbow Coalition” associated with support for Tinubu should be regarded as an APC structure.
The minister’s comments indicate that his political strategy for the 2027 elections is focused on supporting Tinubu at the presidential level while maintaining a distinction between the presidential contest and other elections.
Under Nigeria’s electoral system, voters will participate in separate contests for the presidency, governorships, the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly. Political parties may field candidates in some or all of these elections, depending on their decisions and organisational arrangements.
Wike’s latest declaration therefore places particular emphasis on the presidential election in the FCT and Rivers State, two territories with different political dynamics.
The FCT, as Nigeria’s federal capital, has become an important political centre and contains a diverse population drawn from different parts of the country. Rivers, meanwhile, remains Wike’s political base and the state where he served as governor from 2015 to 2023.
His reference to both locations also reflects the minister’s political role since joining the Tinubu administration. As FCT Minister, Wike has repeatedly highlighted infrastructure development, urban renewal, road construction and other projects undertaken by the administration in Abuja.
At the same time, political control and electoral support in Rivers State have remained subjects of intense political interest following Wike’s departure from the governorship.
Wike’s relationship with the PDP has also remained a major issue in discussions surrounding the 2027 elections. Although he continues to identify with the party, his support for Tinubu has placed him at odds with some PDP figures who favour a different presidential strategy for the next election.
His latest comments suggest that he intends to remain actively involved in the political mobilisation surrounding Tinubu’s re-election campaign.
However, Wike’s statement about his possible removal from office remains a political declaration rather than a formal condition governing the tenure of a federal minister. Ministers are appointed and removed by the President in accordance with the Constitution and applicable laws.
The outcome of the 2027 elections will ultimately be determined by voters and the official electoral process. Wike’s stated intention is to mobilise support for Tinubu in the FCT and Rivers State, while his earlier clarification indicates that he does not regard that support as requiring the withdrawal of candidates from other parties or electoral contests.
As political parties begin positioning themselves for the 2027 elections, Wike’s comments are likely to remain part of the broader debate over alliances, party structures and the strategies being adopted by politicians ahead of the presidential and other elections.
For now, the FCT Minister has publicly placed his political performance in Abuja and Rivers under a clear electoral test, telling the President that he should be removed from office if he fails to deliver the two territories for Tinubu in 2027.
This version keeps the article suitable for news publication while distinguishing Wike’s political claims and declarations from established facts.
