The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said he would be among the first politicians targeted by opposition leaders if President Bola Tinubu loses the 2027 presidential election.
Wike said his open support for Tinubu, despite remaining a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, had put him in a politically vulnerable position, particularly because of his long-running disagreement with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s Peter Obi.
The minister spoke on Wednesday during a media chat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, while explaining why he would continue to campaign for Tinubu’s re-election.
Wike said his political activities against Atiku and other opposition figures meant he could not afford to remain passive and watch the President lose the election.
“My concern is, I will support Mr President. If you watch what is happening today and look at it, peradventure anything happens and Mr President fails today, I will be the first politician that Atiku or Obi will hunt for his head,” he said.
Wike and Atiku have remained political rivals since the 2022 PDP presidential primary, which Atiku won ahead of the former Rivers State governor.
Obi, who contested the 2023 presidential election on the Labour Party platform and is expected to be a major contender in 2027, had also sought Wike’s support for his presidential ambition.
However, Wike eventually backed Tinubu in the 2023 election and has remained one of the President’s prominent political supporters.
Explaining his position ahead of 2027, the minister said he would not allow Atiku to defeat Tinubu without putting up a fight.
With preparations for the 2027 elections gathering momentum, political parties and major political actors are already engaged in negotiations, alliances and realignments ahead of the contest.
Wike’s latest remarks have further underscored the high political stakes surrounding the election and the uncertainty that could accompany a change in the political leadership of the country.
