President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is working to assign FCT Minister Nyesom Wike a formal role in his 2027 presidential campaign, covering Rivers State and the FCTWike is expected to operate outside the APC’s official hierarchy despite coordinating campaign efforts in two territories he claims substantial influence overThe emerging campaign structure also features Abdulaziz Yari as Director General, though Senate President Godswill Akpabio and his deputy will not report to himPAY ATTENTION: Mark Legit.ng as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.FCT, Abuja – President Bola Tinubu is working to carve out a defined campaign role for FCT Minister Nyesom Wike ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with sources familiar with the developing structure saying the former Rivers State governor is being positioned to coordinate campaign efforts in Rivers State and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).As reported on Monday, September 21, by This Day, the arrangement is designed to make use of Wike’s political network while keeping him outside the formal All Progressives Congress (APC) structure, a deliberate choice given that he remains a card-carrying member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).President Bola Tinubu is reportedly considering a campaign role for FCT Minister Nyesom Wike ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Photo credit: s Source: TwitterWike’s role and the fault linesArise News also reported the purported development.PAY ATTENTION: From breaking news to viral moments. Follow Legit.ng on Instagram!Wike has consistently maintained that he does not need APC membership or a seat on the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) to deliver results for Tinubu. This month, he described himself as the “General Commander of the Political Infantry” and said he remained in charge of political structures in Rivers and the FCT.
“You do not need to be governor before you can be in charge. I am the General Commander of the Political Infantry; therefore, I am in charge. So also in FCT. I owe the President to give these two,” he said.Those remarks have deepened tensions with APC governors who believe party structures should remain under the control of elected members.
Wike specifically named Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq as being among those working against him.Nyesom Wike’s Rainbow Coalition seeks cross-party support for President Bola Tinubu, while the Progressives Governors Forum distances itself from the initiative. Photo credit: s Source: UGCThe disagreement has also centred on Wike’s ‘Rainbow Coalition’, a cross-party arrangement aimed at rallying support for Tinubu beyond the APC. The Progressives Governors Forum, chaired by Uzodimma, moved swiftly to distance itself from the initiative.Reading the forum’s resolutions, Uzodimma said:”The forum unanimously resolved that its members won’t participate in, support or endorse any alliance or political arrangement capable of undermining the reelection of Mr President, weakening the APC or adversely affecting any candidate of the party at all levels.”Tinubu is now said to be seeking to contain the friction by assigning Wike a focused presidential campaign brief, limiting his remit to securing votes for the president rather than extending his influence across the APC’s wider state operations.2027 election: APC’s broader campaign structureBeyond Wike’s role, the emerging campaign framework is also notable for its decentralised design. Former Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari is set to serve as Director General of the Presidential Campaign Council, but Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau are expected to operate independently of his authority, each with direct lines of responsibility within the broader structure.Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo is also being considered for a senior spokesperson role.
Keyamo served as Director of Public Affairs in Tinubu’s 2023 campaign and held a communications role in former President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2019 re-election bid. His potential return is expected to bring continuity to the campaign’s public messaging operation.Wike’s alliance with Tinubu stretches back to the 2023 election, when he and four other PDP governors, collectively known as the G5, withheld support from the PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. Tinubu subsequently appointed him FCT Minister, making him one of the most prominent opposition politicians in the federal cabinet.Read more on 2027 election2027 election: Peter Obi speaks on rumoured agreement with Goodluck Jonathan to sack President Tinubu”2027 Not turn of south east”: Umahi declares as Peter Obi releases bold statement2027 election: VDM warns Nigerians about Goodluck Jonathan and PDP, “he is sponsored by Tinubu”ChatGPT predicts winner of 2027 electionEarlier, Legit.ng reported that ChatGPT predicted that the APC would likely win Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election, using the Four Horsemen framework.It cited the opposition coalition but said the APC has the edge due to possible low voter turnout and the Tinubu administration’s efforts to stabilise the economy. Source: Legit.ng Ridwan Adeola Yusuf (Current Affairs Editor) Ridwan Adeola Yusuf is a content writer with more than nine years of experience, He is also a Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng.
He holds a Higher National Diploma in Mass Communication from the Polytechnic Ibadan, Oyo State (2014). Ridwan previously worked at Africa Check, contributing to fact-checking research works within the organisation. He is an active member of the Academic Excellence Initiative (AEI). In March 2024, Ridwan completed the full Google News Initiative Lab workshop and his effort was recognised with a Certificate of Completion.
Email: ridwan.adeola@corp.legit.ng. Bola TinubuAPCNyesom WikeRivers StateAbuja Japan Zimbabwe Funny numbers Portugal nigeria Deep love letters
