The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said it will proceed with its plan to contest the 2027 presidential election despite the decision of Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
The party said Wike’s position was his personal decision and had not changed the PDP’s determination to participate in the presidential contest with its candidate, Senator Sandy Onor.
PDP National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, made the clarification on Wednesday.
Mohammed said the conversation between Wike and the PDP presidential candidate should not be interpreted as a negotiation between the FCT minister and the party.
“He (Wike) told Nigerians that Sandy (Onor) is his friend. And they only had a friendly discussion within the umbrella of friendship. So, that is just a personal discussion between him and his friend,” Mohammed said.
“It is not a discussion between the minister and the PDP. And the PDP has maintained its stance for a very long time. And we still maintain that stance,” he added.
Wike had said he would support Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election even though the PDP has a candidate for the same contest.
The minister, while appearing on Arise News on Tuesday night, said he had invited Onor for a discussion and made his position on the election known to him.
Mohammed said Wike’s support for Tinubu did not prevent the PDP from presenting candidates for the presidential, governorship and legislative elections.
The PDP spokesman also responded to Wike’s assessment that it would be difficult for the party to defeat Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
According to Mohammed, describing the contest as difficult was not the same as saying victory was impossible.
“I think the minister did not say PDP won’t be able to win. He said it would be difficult,” he said.
“Once something is difficult, that does not automatically mean impossible. It means it is surmountable. So, yes, he has said that,” Mohammed added.
The FCT minister has, however, maintained that his support for Tinubu is specifically directed at the President’s re-election and does not require the PDP to abandon its candidates in other elections.
Wike has also argued that his proposed Rainbow Coalition is intended to mobilise support for Tinubu across political parties rather than replace the APC or prevent other parties from fielding candidates.
“What I said and stand for is that I will mobilise support for the reelection of the President. I never promised anyone that PDP will not field candidates to contest governorship, National Assembly and States House of Assembly elections,” Wike said.
He also stated that the Rainbow Coalition had no intention of interfering with the APC’s structure.
“Most importantly, Rainbow Coalition has nothing to do with the APC. Rather, it is our own way of mobilising support across political parties for Mr President, who has done well to deserve a second term,” he said.
Wike cited political developments in several states during the 2023 election to argue that voters could support a presidential candidate from one party while voting for candidates from other parties in governorship and legislative contests.
The disagreement over Wike’s political position has also involved APC governors, some of whom have rejected his proposed coalition and insisted that their primary responsibility is to support APC candidates at all levels.
Imo State Governor and Chairman of the APC Progressive Governors’ Forum, Hope Uzodinma, recently said APC governors would not support any political arrangement capable of weakening the party or undermining its candidates.
“The APC Governors Forum unanimously resolved that its members will not participate in, support or endorse any alliance or political arrangement capable of undermining the re-election of Mr President, weakening the APC or adversely affecting any candidate of the party at all levels,” Uzodinma said.
Wike subsequently criticised the position of the APC governors and questioned their objections to his coalition.
“I said I will support the President from day one. I never told Mr. President I will join APC. Go and ask him. If I want to join APC, it’s not people like Hope who will tell me to join APC,” Wike said.
The dispute prompted Ima Niboro, spokesperson for the APC presidential campaign council, to urge Wike and the APC governors to stop their public exchanges and concentrate on political mobilisation.
Niboro described the disagreement as a dispute among political allies and advised the politicians to take their campaigns to voters rather than continue trading statements on television.
“When I said tone down the rhetoric, I do not mean stop working. Stop talking, go and work,” Niboro said.
He urged political leaders to strengthen their structures and engage voters directly.
“All this shouting is not taking anybody anywhere. Go and work. Go and establish your authority on your political base,” he said.
“Get on the TV cameras. Go to the people. Go to the streets. Go to the marketplaces. Go and win the people.”
