The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that he will not contest the 2027 presidential election.
The former Governor of Rivers State made this known on Monday during his monthly media chat in Abuja.
Wike explained that despite the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) zoning its presidential ticket to the South, he would not run against President Bola Tinubu, who appointed him as minister.
“I will not run. I have integrity, I have character. There is no way my appointer is there, and we are saying he should run, and then I turn around and say I should run,” he said.
The minister stressed that his stance was rooted in loyalty and principle, not political expediency.
Speaking further, Wike said the PDP would have collapsed if not for his commitment to the party. According to him, no opposition party can survive in Nigeria while battling internal crises.
He said, “I have said if we don’t love PDP, by now you won’t be hearing that name. I don’t need to be a governor for me to do what I want to do.
“One thing people don’t understand is if you have a problem, don’t continue to give yourself more problems, try to restrict yourself to the small one you have than to add up other problems.
“No opposition party can survive when they have a serious crisis. The duty of the opposition party is to see whatever way they can solve their problem, and it’s not by being arrogant and doing impunity.”
Wike emphasized that he does not need to occupy a political office to influence events within the PDP or shape the political landscape.
