Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has accused Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma and his Kwara counterpart, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, of working against him despite the political support he said he had previously offered them.
Wike made the allegation during a media chat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where he also defended his continued support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The former Rivers State governor said his disagreements with the two governors would not distract him from his determination to support Tinubu.
According to Wike, Abdulrazaq had been at the forefront of what he described as a campaign against him and had accused him of sponsoring candidates against his preferred political choices in Kwara State.
Wike said he had confronted the governor over the issue, insisting that he had nothing to hide regarding his political activities.
He also claimed that both Uzodimma and Abdulrazaq should appreciate the political support he had offered them in the past.
The minister said he had provided a platform for aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to join the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), rather than moving into a coalition opposed to President Tinubu.
Uzodimma, who is chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum, reportedly declined to comment when contacted, while APC governors criticised Wike’s political activities. Abdulrazaq is chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum.
APC governors raise concerns over Wike’s coalition
Sources close to the APC governors alleged that Wike’s National Rainbow Coalition was designed to weaken the party’s electoral strength and reduce votes for President Tinubu.
The sources said concerns about the coalition had been communicated to the President, particularly because the group had reportedly fielded candidates under the PDP for National Assembly elections scheduled to hold alongside the presidential election.
According to the sources, the arrangement could fragment votes for APC candidates, including Tinubu, despite the coalition’s public claim of supporting the President.
They alleged that some members of the coalition could encourage their supporters to vote for PDP candidates while backing Tinubu for president.
The development, the sources said, had generated concern among APC governors, who reportedly wanted the party leadership to intervene.
Wike: We helped Tinubu defeat Atiku, Obi in 2023
Wike also disclosed details of how he and his allies worked against Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi during the 2023 presidential election.
He said the strategy was primarily aimed at preventing Atiku, then the PDP presidential candidate, from securing enough support to win the election.
According to Wike, his group supported Obi in the South-East as part of a strategy to deny Atiku votes in the region.
He said then-Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom was also central to the strategy because of his opposition to the PDP’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.
Wike maintained that the strategy contributed to Atiku’s inability to secure sufficient support from the South and ultimately helped Tinubu emerge victorious.
‘I’ll be first target if Atiku, Obi defeat Tinubu’
Wike said he expected to become one of the first political targets of the opposition if Atiku or Obi defeats Tinubu in 2027.
He said his open support for Tinubu had made him a target but insisted that he had no regrets about his political position.
“I will be the first politician that I think they will come after,” Wike said, stressing that he remained committed to helping Tinubu secure another term.
He added that his political activities were focused on the President’s re-election and that criticism of his position would not change his stance.
Wike predicts Tinubu will win 25% in every northern state
The FCT minister also expressed confidence that Tinubu would secure at least 25 per cent of the votes in every northern state in the 2027 presidential election.
He, however, predicted that Atiku would struggle to secure 10 per cent of the vote in several southern states.
Wike specifically projected that Tinubu would win Plateau, Nasarawa, Kwara and Kogi states in the North-Central zone.
He also dismissed suggestions that economic hardship could significantly undermine Tinubu’s re-election prospects, arguing that Nigerians had continued to vote despite economic difficulties during previous elections.
Wike attacks Amaechi, NBA
Wike also renewed his criticism of former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi, who is Atiku Abubakar’s running mate on the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ticket.
He questioned Amaechi’s suitability to become vice president, alleging that the former governor had previously undermined the judiciary in Rivers State.
Wike also criticised the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), accusing it of becoming politically partisan.
“The Nigerian Bar Association has now taken sides politically. They are now a political party,” he said.
‘I’m not relocating to Rivers’
Wike dismissed reports that he was planning to relocate from Abuja to Rivers State.
He said his frequent visits to the state were aimed at maintaining contact with his political supporters and monitoring developments ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to him, he would not rely solely on assurances from political associates that everything was under control in Rivers State.
Wike said his visits were necessary because of his strong ties to the state and his desire to remain politically engaged.
Tinubu cannot dictate how states spend subsidy gains — Wike
On the controversy surrounding the use of additional revenue generated following the removal of fuel subsidy, Wike said President Tinubu had no constitutional power to dictate how state and local governments spend their allocations.
He argued that the focus should instead be on how the additional funds accruing to the sub-national governments were being utilised.
According to Wike, the removal of subsidy had increased allocations to states and local governments, giving them greater capacity to pay salaries, pensions and execute development projects.
He also praised Tinubu for taking the decision to remove the subsidy, describing it as a bold step that previous administrations had avoided.
Wike, however, urged state governments to account for the additional funds they had received following the policy.
