ABUJA — All Progressives Congress (APC) governors believe Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike is strategically positioning himself for a presidential bid in 2039, according to Arise Television anchor Rufai Oseni.
Oseni made the claim on Monday while analysing the ongoing public disagreement between Wike and some APC governors over campaign strategies and political alliances ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He suggested that Wike’s current political manoeuvres, including the formation of the cross-party Rainbow Coalition to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, form part of a longer-term calculation.
“All of this Wike is playing, forget it, he has presidential ambitions. Anyway, he ran in the last election cycle, so all of this is strategically positioning himself for the next eight years when power will come back to the South,” Oseni said. He added that age appears to be on Wike’s side in those calculations.
The remarks come amid heightened tension between Wike and the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), led by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma. The governors have rejected any cross-party arrangements they believe could weaken the APC or undermine its candidates at state and legislative levels in 2027. They have insisted on relying solely on the party’s structures for mobilisation.
Wike has repeatedly clarified that his support is strictly for Tinubu’s presidential re-election and does not extend to an automatic endorsement of APC candidates in other races. He has described the Rainbow Coalition as a platform of individuals across party lines who back the President’s performance, insisting he never promised that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would withdraw from governorship, National Assembly or state assembly contests.
The FCT minister has also accused some APC governors of being “politically lazy” and of using the President’s re-election as cover for unresolved local political challenges in their states. He has maintained that President Tinubu is aware of the coalition’s activities.
Political observers note that the feud reflects deeper anxieties about influence and succession. Some analyses have linked the governors’ discomfort not only to the immediate 2027 contests but also to longer-term positioning for the post-Tinubu era, when power is widely expected to return to the South.
Oseni predicted that President Tinubu would likely seek to manage the dispute carefully rather than escalate it, given his own interest in securing re-election. The real contest involving Wike, he suggested, may intensify after the 2027 polls, particularly around the future direction of the PDP.
Neither Wike nor the Progressive Governors’ Forum had issued an immediate formal response to Oseni’s specific assertion about a 2039 ambition as of Monday afternoon. The public exchanges between the FCT minister and APC governors continue to dominate political discussion as parties prepare for next year’s elections.
About the Author
