Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, says he expects to become a major target if President Bola Tinubu loses the 2027 presidential election.
Wike said his open support for Tinubu’s re-election has made him a marked target among the opposition. He made the remarks during a media chat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Wednesday.
The minister maintained that he had no regrets about his decision to support Tinubu despite the political risks involved.
Wike predicts political backlash
Wike said he expects Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi to target him if they defeat Tinubu at the polls.
“I will be the first politician that I think they will come after. I know they will come for my head,” he said.
The FCT minister said he understood the consequences of his political position. However, he insisted that the risks would not stop him from supporting the President.
Wike said Tinubu’s re-election remains his major political focus ahead of the 2027 election.
“Each day I sleep, I am thinking about the president’s reelection. When I am eating, I think about the president’s reelection. Everything I am doing now is about the president’s reelection,” he stated.
Wike dismisses criticism
The former Rivers State governor also addressed the criticism he has received over his support for Tinubu.
He said he was not concerned about the names critics had called him because of his political stance.
“I don’t see where anybody in this country today has been called names the way my name has been. I am not bothered about people who say their [own] thing,” Wike said.
He added, “My business is, like I said, I am going to support Mr President.”
Wike has continued to support Tinubu despite remaining a member of the Peoples Democratic Party.
His position has attracted criticism from some opposition figures and members of his party.
Wike recalls 2023 strategy
The minister also discussed the political strategy he and his allies adopted during the 2023 presidential election.
According to Wike, they wanted to prevent Atiku from gaining stronger support in parts of the South. He said they encouraged voters in the South-East to support Peter Obi, who contested the election on the platform of the Labour Party.
“We wanted to block Atiku, so we said, support Obi. It was a strategy. We wanted to defeat him, yes. And he took it,” Wike said.
The minister said the strategy helped weaken Atiku’s support in the region during the election.
2027 political battle takes shape
Wike’s comments come as politicians and political parties intensify preparations for the 2027 presidential election. Tinubu is seeking another term under the All Progressives Congress, while Atiku has joined the African Democratic Congress. Obi is also preparing for the 2027 contest under the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
Wike has maintained his support for Tinubu despite his continued membership of the PDP. He has repeatedly defended the decision and said his priority remains helping the President secure re-election.
