Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has explained why he could not have been appointed Director-General of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 Presidential Campaign Council, citing his political priorities in Rivers State and the fact that he is not a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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Wike spoke on Saturday after inspecting ongoing construction works on the Apo-Karshi and Kubwa-Bwari roads in Abuja. His comments followed the announcement of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, with former Zamfara State Governor and Senator, Abdulaziz Yari, appointed as Director-General.

The FCT Minister said accepting such a national campaign role could distract him from his political responsibilities in Rivers State and the Federal Capital Territory, stressing that his priority was to ensure electoral success in the two territories he described as his political bases.

Wike recalled several politicians who served as presidential campaign directors-general but subsequently lost their home states during the elections.

“I don’t want to lose my state! I will be in my state. I have two states: FCT and Rivers. What is important is that you are able to deliver those two states. So it is not about being DG. If you are DG and you don’t win your state, what is the essence of the DG?” he said.

He cited former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, who headed Muhammadu Buhari’s presidential campaign in 2015 and 2019, as well as Bukola Saraki, Aminu Tambuwal and Simon Lalong, who led presidential campaigns in subsequent elections.

Wike also stressed that he is not a member of the APC, making an appointment to the party’s presidential campaign council unlikely.

“I am not a member of APC. So the issue of their Presidential Campaign Council is out of the question.”

He recalled that he and his political allies supported Tinubu’s presidential bid in 2023 without being members of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, saying they developed their own strategies to support his emergence.

According to Wike, the Rainbow Coalition also brought together politicians from different parties who worked in several states to support Tinubu.

He further cautioned against using membership of a presidential campaign council as a basis for predicting governorship outcomes.

“Nobody should use that as a yardstick to judge who will be the governor of any state. I think there is only one state that is clear that will produce a governor. It is my state. It is very clear. The other ones, we don’t know what will happen.”

Wike’s remarks come as political parties and their allies begin preparations for the 2027 general elections, with the APC already putting its presidential campaign structure in place.