Wike dismisses 2031 Presidency speculation, says Tinubu’s 2027 return is priority

By Stanley Onyekwere

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed speculation that his involvement in the emerging Rainbow Coalition is aimed at positioning himself for the 2031 presidential race, saying his immediate political focus is securing President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.

Wike spoke on Monday in Abuja after inspecting ongoing road construction projects in the Federal Capital Territory.

The minister said he had no immediate interest in who would succeed Tinubu in 2031, stressing that his priority was ensuring the president secures a second term in office.

“My primary concern is whether Tinubu will be re-elected for a second term, and I have made it known from the onset that I am going to support Mr President with all my might and strength,” he said.

Wike also rejected claims that the Rainbow Coalition, a cross-party political platform with which he is associated, was created to weaken or destabilize existing political parties.

Describing the allegations as baseless, he said the coalition was intended to unite politicians and other Nigerians across party lines who support the Tinubu administration.

According to him, members of the coalition were not asking politicians to abandon their parties or preventing anyone from pursuing alternative political interests.

“We have not gone to anyone to say they should not support anyone; rather, we asked all our party members and like-minded people who are not APC members to ensure they support Mr President,” Wike said.

The minister drew a parallel between the current coalition and the G5 governors who took a position during the 2023 presidential election, questioning why similar concerns were not raised about the potential impact of that political alignment.

“Looking back at 2023 when it was the G5, why did nobody complain that it would destabilize the party?” he asked.

Wike acknowledged that the G5 may have conferred some political advantage but suggested that the concerns currently being expressed about the Rainbow Coalition went beyond its stated activities.

“You can argue that it gave them an advantage, but that is not the real cause of the outcry today. There are undertones to this,” he said.

On speculation about his own presidential ambitions, Wike said political calculations about 2031 were premature, noting that survival and circumstances could determine future political decisions.

“People are taking the position of God. First of all, you have to pray to be alive, asking God to keep you alive until tomorrow or the next day. Only when God keeps you alive will you know what to do,” he said.

Wike recalled that he contested the Peoples Democratic Party presidential primary in 2022 and finished second, saying his political experience had exposed him to the complexities of Nigerian politics.

He added that Tinubu, who would be constitutionally barred from seeking another term in 2031 if re-elected in 2027, would naturally have an interest in who succeeds him.

“By 2031 Mr President will not run and he will have interest in who will succeed him, and I will not be at loggerhead with his interest,” Wike said.

Meanwhile, Wike expressed satisfaction with the progress of several major road projects in the FCT, saying they were expected to be completed before the 2027 general elections.

Among the projects inspected were the Inner Southern Expressway from Ring Road I to Ring Road II, service lanes along the Southern Parkway from Arterial Road S20 in Gaduwa District to Ring Road II, and the road linking Nile University to Ring Road III.