Wike reveals fresh 2027 strategy, says major threats must be neutralized

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has disclosed that political calculations for the 2027 general elections are already taking shape, saying parties and candidates must identify their biggest threats and devise strategies to limit their electoral strength.

Wike made the disclosure while speaking with journalists after inspecting ongoing projects in Abuja, where he also reflected on the controversial role of the Peoples Democratic Party’s G5 governors in the 2023 presidential election.

The former Rivers State governor said political strategy was fundamentally about assessing opponents and determining which candidate posed the greatest challenge.

“When you are strategizing to win an election, you look at a lot of factors: who is my threat? If this is my threat, this is a lesser threat, and I know what to do so as to make sure that the vote of my major threat does not increase,” Wike said.

He, however, declined to disclose the details of the strategy currently being developed for 2027.

“We have our strategy in this election, and whether you like it or not, it’s not for us to let the cat out of the bag,” he said.

Wike’s comments provide an insight into the political calculations surrounding the 2027 election, coming amid his efforts to mobilise a cross-party Rainbow Coalition in support of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election.

The minister has repeatedly said the coalition is focused on supporting Tinubu rather than operating as an alternative structure to the ruling All Progressives Congress. APC governors, however, have publicly opposed political arrangements they believe could weaken the party or its candidates.

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Revisiting the G5 strategy

Wike also offered a fresh explanation of the G5’s actions during the 2023 presidential election, acknowledging that the bloc’s calculations were aimed at limiting the electoral advantage of Atiku Abubakar, the PDP candidate.

“Our strategy was that, listen, you vote, make sure that you vote for Obi to win, in order to deny Atiku the votes,” he said.

The G5 comprised Wike and four other PDP governors — Seyi Makinde, Samuel Ortom, Okezie Ikpeazu and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi — who broke ranks with Atiku after the PDP presidential primary.

The governors had demanded the resignation of the party’s then national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, arguing against having both the presidential candidate and national chairman from the northern part of the country. The dispute ultimately contributed to the group’s refusal to support Atiku’s presidential campaign.

Wike said Peter Obi, who contested the 2023 election on the Labour Party platform, was not regarded by the G5 as its principal political threat at the time, despite his strong support in parts of the South-East and South-South.

He also rejected claims that the G5 manipulated the 2023 presidential election in Rivers State.

“Did anybody tender any result from Rivers State that, ‘Look, this is the result, we won’? Did anybody? It’s unfair. It’s unfortunate, but there’s nothing we can do,” he said.

The dispute over the 2023 Rivers result remains part of the wider political debate surrounding Wike’s influence in the state. In September 2026, he challenged supporters of Obi to produce official result sheets to substantiate claims that the Labour Party candidate won Rivers.

A different political map for 2027

Wike’s latest remarks come as political alliances are being reorganised ahead of the 2027 elections.

The minister has said he intends to mobilise support for Tinubu in Rivers and the FCT, while maintaining that his Rainbow Coalition is separate from the APC.

The emerging alignments have also triggered counter-moves, with reports that some politicians opposed to Wike’s approach are exploring alternative alliances.

Against this backdrop, Wike’s refusal to disclose his latest strategy leaves open questions about how his political network will operate across party lines and which electoral contests he considers strategically significant ahead of 2027.