The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said he expects to become the first political target if President Bola Tinubu loses the 2027 presidential election.
Wike, who remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, has nevertheless thrown his weight behind Tinubu’s re-election bid and said he is prepared to face the political consequences of his decision.
The former Rivers State governor spoke during a media chat on Wednesday, where he acknowledged that his open support for the President had made him a major target among his political opponents.
“I will be the first politician that I think they will come after. I will be the first politician. I know they will come for my head,” Wike said.
Despite the possible consequences, the minister said he had no intention of backing down from his support for Tinubu, insisting that the President’s re-election remained his major political priority.
“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 said the criticism and attacks against him over his political stance had been intense, but maintained that he was not bothered by the names he had been called by his opponents.
“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. My business is, like I said, I am going to support Mr President,” he declared.
The minister’s position has placed him in an unusual political situation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
While remaining in the opposition PDP, Wike is openly backing Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, against opposition politicians, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi.
Atiku and Obi, who contested the 2023 presidential election on the platforms of the PDP and Labour Party respectively, are now associated with the emerging opposition realignment around the African Democratic Congress.
Wike’s support for Tinubu has also deepened disagreements within the PDP, particularly as opposition politicians intensify efforts to build a broad coalition ahead of the 2027 election.
The FCT minister, however, said concerns about possible political reprisals would not influence his decision.
He maintained that he had deliberately chosen his political path and was prepared to accept whatever consequences might arise from it.
Wike has repeatedly defended his support for Tinubu, arguing that he has never hidden his political position and that his decision to support the President should therefore not surprise anyone.
'
'Do you want to share a story with us? Do you want to advertise with us? Do you need publicity for a product, service, or event? Contact us on WhatsApp +2348183319097 Email: platformtimes@gmail.com
We are committed to impactful investigative journalism for human interest and social justice. Your donation will help us tell more stories. Kindly donate any amount HERE
