Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has explained that he declined any possibility of serving as Director-General of President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 presidential campaign because he would rather concentrate on securing electoral victories in Rivers State and the FCT.

Wike spoke in Abuja on Saturday while inspecting the Apo-Karshi and Kubwa-Bwari road projects, shortly after the Presidency announced former Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, as Director-General of the All Progressives Congress presidential campaign for the 2027 election.

The minister said his decision was informed by his observation that several politicians who previously headed presidential campaigns failed to deliver their home states during the elections.

Wike cited the experiences of former campaign directors, including Rotimi Amaechi, Bukola Saraki, Aminu Tambuwal and Simon Lalong, who, according to him, lost their respective states while leading presidential campaign teams.

He said he did not want to become another example of a campaign director who failed to secure victory in his political stronghold.

For Wike, his priority is to ensure that both Rivers State and the Federal Capital Territory deliver for Tinubu rather than pursue a prominent position within the campaign structure.

He also pointed out that he is not a member of the APC, making his appointment to head the party’s official presidential campaign structure unlikely.

The former Rivers State governor, however, maintained that his lack of APC membership would not prevent him from supporting Tinubu’s re-election bid.

Wike said his support would continue through the “Rainbow Coalition”, a cross-party political arrangement involving politicians who remain members of their respective parties while working towards Tinubu’s victory.

He recalled that similar cooperation existed during the 2023 presidential election, when politicians outside the APC supported Tinubu’s emergence through their own political strategies.

The minister further argued that holding the position of campaign DG should not be considered a measure of political strength. Instead, he said electoral performance would ultimately determine which political actors and states had delivered for the President.

The Presidency announced Yari’s appointment on Saturday as Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council. Yari has accepted the role and pledged to begin preparations for the 2027 campaign, with emphasis on unity and discipline.

Wike, meanwhile, said he would remain focused on his political strategy and his stated objective of delivering Rivers and the FCT rather than seeking a formal position within the APC campaign hierarchy.