adminFCT Minister Nyesom Wike says his disagreement with APC governors centres on attempts to influence the choice of candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said his major disagreement with some governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was his refusal to accept candidates allegedly preferred by them for upcoming elections.
Wike made the remarks while responding to the growing political disagreement between him and some APC governors over political alignments and candidate selection ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to the former Rivers State governor, the governors wanted to influence the candidates to be presented, but he disagreed with the arrangement.
“The crime I have committed against APC governors is that they wanted to give us candidates of their own choice, and I disagreed,” Wike said.
He also dismissed claims that his involvement in the selection of candidates was aimed at building a larger bloc of legislators under his influence.
“I have heard them say I am presenting candidates so I will have greater legislators. How does that work?” he asked.
Wike further argued that although governors have significant political influence, such influence should primarily be demonstrated in their respective states, particularly in delivering electoral support for President Bola Tinubu.
“They are governors, and I agree. They have influence, but the influence should come more from their own states as far as this election is concerned,” he said.
The FCT minister questioned what political influence would mean if a governor was unable to secure victory for the President in his own state.
“At the end of the day, if Mr President does not win in your state, what would you be talking about?” Wike asked.
His comments followed the recent position of the APC Governors’ Forum against political arrangements that could undermine the party or affect the fortunes of its candidates ahead of the 2027 elections. The forum has maintained that APC governors would support official party candidates at the various levels of the elections.
Wike, however, has maintained that his support for President Tinubu’s re-election does not prevent other political parties from fielding candidates for legislative positions.
He cited governors and political leaders who support Tinubu while remaining members of their respective parties, arguing that presidential support and party candidates for other elective positions can coexist.
The latest comments add to the ongoing political disagreement involving Wike and some APC governors as political realignments and candidate-selection discussions intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections.
