2027: Wike vows to deliver Rivers and FCT to Tinubu

Nyesom Wike says he does not need to occupy the governor’s office to control Rivers State’s political machinery. The minister of Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory has vowed to deliver both Rivers and the FCT to President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

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General Commander of the Political Infantry

Speaking during a media chat in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, Wike described himself as the “General Commander of the Political Infantry” and rejected the idea that only a sitting governor could command a state’s political structure. “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.

Wike served as Rivers governor and remains a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, even though he is one of Tinubu’s strongest political allies outside the ruling All Progressives Congress. He has repeatedly promised to mobilise support for Tinubu in Rivers. In February, he said pro-Tinubu supporters did not need a sitting governor to win votes because he and his allies had political structures across the state.

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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.

His latest comments come as questions continue over political influence in Rivers, where Governor Siminalayi Fubara returned to the centre of politics after last year’s crisis with Wike. Wike said he would not stand by while opposition politicians, including Atiku, sought to win the territory. He also denied that his return meant he was relocating to Rivers, saying he wanted to reconnect with his political base and spend time with his family.

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Politics, of course, this is the time. You want me to fold my hand for Atiku to come and win the election?

Wike separately announced the suspension of an FCTA director accused of granting unauthorised temporary approvals to commercial operators on designated green areas. He said the administration was taking firm action against officials who enabled encroachment on green areas and waterways, citing violations of Abuja’s master plan. Another official, he said, had faced disciplinary action for allegedly reallocating parkland under the guise of security clearing. The measures followed recent flooding in parts of Abuja.

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Beyond structural enforcement, the FCTA is also taking stern administrative action against officials within the administration who facilitate illegal encroachment into green areas and the waterways.