PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu says he will welcome Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) whenever he chooses to join officially.
Speaking during the commissioning of the Arterial Road N16 and other infrastructure in the Katampe District of Abuja, President Tinubu commended Wike’s contribution to governance and light-heartedly referenced the minister’s signature tune from his previous political rallies.
“We have somebody—Nyesom Wike—he is not a member of my party (APC), not yet.
“But the day he changes his mind and registers with the progressives, we will welcome him. Because we will enjoy singing ‘as e dey pain dem, e dey sweet us,’” Tinubu said.
The President’s remarks drew laughter from the audience, including Wike himself, reflecting a continued mutuality between the two political figures.
Wike, a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has stirred political discourse since publicly supporting Tinubu during the 2023 general election.
Though he remained in the PDP after Tinubu won the highly contested presidential seat, he accepted a ministerial appointment from the APC-led administration and was sworn in as FCT Minister in August 2023.
His decision to serve on the platform of a rival party, while still maintaining his PDP membership, deepened internal rifts within the main opposition party.
His political trajectory has increasingly aligned with President Tinubu. After losing the PDP’s presidential primary in 2022, he refused to support the party’s eventual candidate, Atiku Abubakar, during the general election.
Since then, Wike has publicly pledged to support Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, even stating on 3 June that he was prepared to lead the campaign in Rivers State.
“I am a key asset. I will lead President Tinubu’s re-election campaign in Rivers State,” Wike stated in a recent media chat.
His often-repeated declarations and support have drawn mixed reactions from observers and party loyalists like Bode George and Dele Momodu.
The PDP has been in crisis since losing the 2023 presidential election. Photo: X@Lere Olayinka.
The PDP has faced significant internal tensions since its loss in the 2023 presidential election, with Wike emerging as a controversial but central figure in the party’s post-election fate.
On Monday, Wike once again made headlines when he called for the zoning of the PDP’s presidential ticket to the South ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking on behalf of the “Concerned Stakeholders of the PDP” after a consultative meeting, Wike emphasised the need for equity and inclusiveness.
The statement also addressed procedural legitimacy within the party, insisting that only the National Secretary, Senator Sam Anyanwu, was constitutionally empowered to issue notices for national meetings.