APC chieftain says Wike most qualified to lead Tinubu’s re-election campaign

Nyesom Wike, former governor of Rivers State and now FCT minister, who is leading a faction of the rival People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has been recommended to lead the re-election charge of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The recommendation came from Princewill Dike, a member of the APC in Rivers State, who urged President Tinubu to see the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as most qualified politician for his 2027 Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) Director-General.

Dike, a Port Harcourt-based legal practitioner, stated this while expressing confidence that Wike has the political capacity to campaign and ensure Tinubu’s re-election in the 2027 general election.

Wike has led both his PDP and the APC in most sections of Nigeria in what is now termed APCDP where he has created factions from each of the two powerful political parties to form what he calls ‘Rainbow Coalition’ which he uses to back the President and to crush some state governors.

Dike emphasised that the FCT minister had even as a governor demonstrated his political ingenuity in displacing his political opponents, declaring that as Director-General of PCC, Tinubu’s reelection would be guaranteed.

The lawyer, who is a strong political associate of the minister, boasted that with Wike as Tinubu’s campaign director-general, other presidential candidates would find the game tough.

Dike stated: “I have hitherto asserted that should the political wonder boy of Rivers State, Wike, become PBAT’s re-election Presidential Campaign Council DG, his opponents would be in trouble.”

He highlighted reasons Wike, in his opinion, is most qualified to lead the All Progressives Congress (APC) PCC.

“He has a humongous political network across the wider spectrum of the federation. He knows how to generate the campaign funds without disturbing Mr. President.

“Rather than embezzle campaign funds as usually the case, he will even add his own money. He will even work 24 hours criss-crossing the length and breadth of the states to achieve results.

“Wike knows the right politicians who can deliver. He is widely loved by Nigerians, particularly the youths.”

Dike further added: “Recently, he delivered the FCT Area Council election candidates to the APC. Even as a PDP member; the only one won by the PDP was under his rainbow coalition alliance. The serving Senator, Ireti Kingibe, did not win even in her unit!

“He is a goal-getter with the unction of the Midas touch; anything he touches turns gold.”

He went on: “It is, therefore, my fervent prayer that P-BAT should pick the star boy of his administration, Minister Wike, to be the Presidential Campaign Council DG of his re-election.”

According to him, in 2014, a renowned lawyer, Odein Ajumogobia, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said he withdrew from the 2015 gubernatorial race of Rivers State under the platform of the PDP, because “Wike knew politics at the tip of his fingers, as he himself knew the law at the tip of his fingers.”

He chronicled Wike’s political victories in the state, which included defeating the incumbent governor in 2015, where his candidate lost the governorship election; also defeating a powerful minister in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and Director-General, Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), APC, in 2019, where his party (APC) did not win any elective seat in Rivers.

Dike added: “In 2023 general elections, Gov Wike (as he then was), who was a thorn in Buhari’s flesh cum his administration, delivered his successor and all the elective seats in Rivers State, including Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who was of an opposition political party.”

He did not mention that opponents usually heap all manner of accusation on the ways of Wike and how he wins elections by allegedly crushing the opposition. Most Wike supporters however see it as capacity and boast about it.