President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is reportedly planning to appoint the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, as coordinator of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign structure in Rivers State and the Federal Capital Territory ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to sources cited by ThisDay, the proposed arrangement is aimed at making use of Wike’s political network and influence in the two territories, even though the former Rivers State governor is expected to remain a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Wike has repeatedly stated that he does not belong to the APC and has maintained that he does not need to join the party or secure a formal position in its Presidential Campaign Council to support Tinubu’s bid for another term.
Under the proposed arrangement, Wike would have clearly defined responsibilities for coordinating Tinubu’s campaign activities in Rivers State and the FCT.
The development comes amid reported disagreements between Wike and some APC governors over the structure and coordination of support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Sources also disclosed that former Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, is expected to serve as Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Council.
However, the proposed structure is not expected to follow a single chain of command, as some senior political figures may operate within separate areas of responsibility.
The sources said Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau may not report directly to Yari, despite his expected position as Director-General of the campaign council.
Instead, the campaign structure is expected to assign specific responsibilities to influential figures to avoid overlapping roles and disagreements among the major actors.
The same approach is reportedly behind the proposed appointment of Wike to oversee campaign coordination in Rivers State and the FCT.
The minister recently criticised some APC governors, particularly Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, over their positions on his political activities.
The disagreement followed the rejection of Wike’s proposed Rainbow Coalition by APC governors.
Uzodimma, who is chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, had said the governors unanimously resolved not to associate with the Rainbow Coalition.
Sources said the proposed role for Wike could help reduce possible conflicts within the broader campaign structure by clearly defining his responsibilities ahead of the election.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, is reportedly being considered for a major spokesperson role in Tinubu’s campaign.
Keyamo is expected to bring significant political communication experience to the campaign team, having served as spokesperson and Director of Public Affairs during Tinubu’s 2023 presidential campaign.
He also played a senior communications role during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2019 re-election campaign.
Beyond campaign activities, Keyamo previously served as Minister of State for Labour and Employment under Buhari before becoming Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development under Tinubu.
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