Wike APC campaign DG, SOJWORLDNEWS
Wike APC campaign DG — FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has firmly rejected suggestions that he could serve as Director-General of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign council. According to Wike, the reason is simple: he is not a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
However, Wike insisted that his refusal has nothing to do with capacity. “It’s not that one is not qualified,” he said. “Who’s more qualified than me?” He went further, declaring that even a direct appeal from the President would not change his mind. “Even if Mr. President calls me, I’ll say no and tell him why,” he added.
To explain his reluctance, Wike pointed to a troubling pattern among past campaign directors-general who lost their home states in the very elections they were meant to help win. He began with the 2015 election, when the sitting Minister of Transport, who was also a former governor of Rivers State, served as DG for Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign. Despite the role, the minister could not secure his own state. “Before you knew, I pulled the carpet off his feet,” Wike said. “He lost. He didn’t get 25 percent.”
The pattern, according to Wike, repeated itself in 2019. The same minister returned as campaign DG, yet once again failed to deliver his state. From there, Wike moved to the case of Bukola Saraki, who took on the DG role for Atiku Abubakar’s 2019 campaign. Wike recalled confronting Saraki directly over his approach at the time. “He was running around doing ‘Atikulated,’” Wike said. “I called him, ‘Why are you doing Atikulated? Go home!’” Consequently, Saraki not only lost his state but also lost his own senatorial seat.
By 2023, the trend had not broken. Aminu Tambuwal took over as DG for Atiku’s campaign that year, and like his predecessors, he lost his home state. Meanwhile, on the APC side, Simon Lalong served as DG for President Tinubu’s successful campaign. Nevertheless, Lalong still lost his own state in the process.
For Wike, these examples form a clear warning rather than a coincidence. Therefore, he has chosen to focus his energy elsewhere. “I don’t want to lose my state,” he said. Instead of chasing a national title, Wike said he intends to concentrate on delivering results in the two territories he considers his responsibility. “I have two states: FCT and Rivers,” he explained. “What is important is that you are able to deliver those two states.”
In his view, the DG position carries prestige but little practical value if it fails to translate into electoral victory back home. Ultimately, Wike argued, results matter more than titles. “So it is not about being DG,” he said. “If you are DG and you don’t win your state, what is the essence of the DG?”
His comments arrive as speculation continues over who will lead Tinubu’s 2027 campaign structure. While several APC stalwarts have been mentioned for the role, Wike’s remarks make his own position unmistakably clear. He would rather stay out of the DG race altogether than risk repeating what he sees as a costly mistake made by others before him.
Additionally, his remarks reflect a broader strategy centered on measurable outcomes rather than symbolic appointments. By pointing to the string of DGs who lost their states, Wike effectively reframed the conversation around accountability. For him, real political value lies in delivering votes, not in occupying a prominent title that carries no guarantee of success.
As the 2027 election cycle approaches, Wike’s blunt assessment is likely to keep circulating within APC circles, particularly among those weighing whether the DG role is truly the political asset it appears to be.
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