FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has ruled out serving as Director-General of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Presidential Campaign Council in the 2027 election, saying he does not want to risk losing his home state of Rivers.
Wike, who said he supported President Bola Tinubu’s emergence in 2023 despite not being a member of the APC, argued that winning one’s state was more important than occupying a campaign leadership position.
The minister, while fielding questions from journalists after inspecting ongoing road projects in Abuja on Saturday, said his decision was informed by the experiences of several politicians who served as campaign directors-general in previous presidential elections but lost their states.
“People don’t understand why I can not. Who is more qualified than me? But let me tell you the history why I would not want to be, even if the Presidential Campaign Council calls me to say, ‘I want you to be Campaign DG.’ I’ll say no. They’ll say why? I say let me tell you history.”
Wike recalled that former Rivers State governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, served as DG of Muhammadu Buhari’s presidential campaign in 2015 and 2019 but lost Rivers State in both elections.
“In 2015, the Minister of Transport was the governor of Rivers State. He was the DG of Muhammadu Buhari. Before you know, I pulled the carpet off his feet. He lost. He didn’t get 25 percent.
“In 2019, he was minister of Transport, he became the DG, and he lost his state too.”
He also cited former Senate President Bukola Saraki, former Sokoto State governor Aminu Tambuwal and former Plateau State governor Simon Lalong, who he said lost their respective states after serving as campaign DGs in the 2019 and 2023 presidential elections.
“Bukola Saraki was the DG of Atiku campaign in 2019. He was running around doing ‘Articulating’, I called him, ‘Why are you doing Articulating? Go home!’ He lost his state! Lost his own seat, too!
“In 2023, Aminu Tambuwal became DG of Atiku. He lost his state! In the same 2023, Lalong was the DG of APC, the present president. He lost his state!
“I don’t want to lose my state! I will be in my state. I have two states: FCT and my state. What’s important is that you are able to deliver those two states? So it’s not about being DG. If you’re DG and you don’t win your state, what’s the essence of the DG?”
