By Amofokhai Williams
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said he will resign from office if President Bola Tinubu fails to win the Federal Capital Territory and Rivers State in the 2027 presidential election.
Wike made the declaration on Wednesday during an engagement with leaders and members of the Apo Mechanics and Traders Association in Abuja, where he linked his continued service as FCT minister to his ability to deliver electoral support for the President in the two territories.
The minister said he would announce his resignation on January 17, 2027, if Tinubu loses either the FCT or Rivers State in the presidential election.
“If I cannot deliver where I work, then I’m not worthy to be here,” Wike said.
“If I lose FCT, I’m not supposed to be FCT Minister. By January 17, 2027, I will announce my resignation as FCT Minister should the President lose in Rivers State and the FCT,” he added.
The statement was contained in a release issued by Lere Olayinka, Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication and Social Media.
Wike’s declaration comes amid his increasingly prominent role in efforts to mobilise support for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid in the FCT and Rivers, despite remaining a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.
The former Rivers State governor had previously announced plans to lead the campaign machinery for Tinubu in both territories.
He said he would inaugurate campaign teams in the FCT and Rivers, while operating outside the formal structure of the All Progressives Congress because he is not an APC member.
Wike outlines coalition strategy
At the Abuja meeting, Wike said political groups from different parties were being brought together under a coalition to mobilise support for Tinubu while also backing candidates for legislative positions.
He endorsed former FCT senator Philip Aduda for the Senate and two former area council chairmen for the House of Representatives, presenting the arrangement as part of a broader political strategy in the territory.
“Let us be clear on direction: for the Presidency, it is Bola Ahmed Tinubu! For the Senate, Philip Aduda is a man of the people, unlike those who only appear on television. The two House of Representatives candidates we are supporting are also here. They are former Area Council chairmen,” he said.
“In the FCT, we are running a unified coalition across parties to deliver results.”
The arrangement reflects Wike’s broader advocacy of a cross-party coalition to support Tinubu’s presidential bid while allowing participating politicians to maintain their affiliations and pursue other electoral contests.
Wike has previously described his priority for 2027 as delivering both the FCT and Rivers to Tinubu rather than seeking a formal position in the President’s campaign council.
