The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has revealed that President Bola Tinubu is the only presidential candidate capable of winning Rivers State in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking during his monthly media chat in Abuja on Tuesday, Wike said anyone calculating the outcome of the next presidential election should leave Rivers State out unless the votes are being counted for Tinubu.
“If anybody is counting Rivers, go now and cancel it. The only person that can count Rivers is Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I’m not talking because I want to talk; I’m talking as a political realist because I know my people,” he said.
The former Rivers State governor disclosed that politicians from different political parties had formed a broad coalition to support President Tinubu’s re-election while working together for the interest of Rivers State.
According to him, the alliance includes members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Labour Party (LP), the Action Alliance (AA) and other political groups.
“Today, we have PDP, APC, Labour Party, AA all together. We have candidates across different political parties for the House of Assembly and National Assembly. We will support the candidate who is most acceptable. Whoever emerges should not be seen as APC or PDP; the person should be seen as the coalition’s candidate,” Wike said.
He added that the coalition was expanding across the state.
“All we are doing is for one purpose, to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. It is all-inclusive and it is spreading like wildfire,” he added.
Wike dismissed claims that the coalition was aimed at strengthening any particular political party, insisting that its priority was to ensure Rivers State continued to benefit from the federal government.
“For me, what matters is Rivers State. If Rivers State is relevant because projects are coming and people are benefiting from government, then I am satisfied. It is not about personal ambition; it is about the interest of the state,” he said.
Wike said his years in public office had given him a deep understanding of politics and leadership.
“I have been in politics since 1999. Nobody can teach me politics or tell me how to navigate it. Politics is about leadership and understanding the interests of your people,” he said.
The FCT minister also recalled the 2019 governorship election in Rivers State, alleging that the state witnessed an overwhelming deployment of federal security forces during the poll.
“I saw what federal might means. Military personnel came with battalions as if Rivers State was at war. We survived it by the grace of God and fought back,” he said.
He maintained that his political influence comes from the trust the people of Rivers State have in him.
2027: Forget Rivers, only Tinubu can win state – Wike tells opposition