‘Tinubu set to give Wike fresh appointment’
President Bola Tinubu is set to appoint former Rivers State Governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, as the coordinator of his 2027 presidential campaign structure in Rivers State and the FCT.
The proposed arrangement is expected to give Wike a clearly defined role in Tinubu’s re-election campaign while allowing him to retain his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Wike has repeatedly stated that he is not a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and does not need to join the party to support Tinubu’s bid for a second term.
Sources familiar with the proposed campaign structure told THISDAY that the arrangement is aimed at making use of Wike’s political network in Rivers and the FCT without placing him directly under the APC’s internal hierarchy.
The development comes amid disagreements between Wike and some APC governors over the structure of the President’s 2027 campaign and how political support for Tinubu should be organized across the states.
Wike has previously rejected suggestions that he was interested in becoming Director General of Tinubu’s Presidential Campaign Council.
Instead, he has maintained that his main concern is to secure support for the President in Rivers and the FCT.
Under the proposed structure, former Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari is expected to serve as Director General of the Presidential Campaign Council.
However, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau will not to report directly to Yari.
Sources said the arrangement would allow the two National Assembly leaders to operate within their own areas of responsibility because of their positions and political influence.
The proposed structure will therefore have different lines of responsibility rather than one system where every senior campaign official reports to the Director General.
The same arrangement will apply to Wike, ans his role focused on mobilizing support for Tinubu’s presidential bid in Rivers and the FCT.
Meanwhile, Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister Festus Keyamo is being considered for a major spokesperson role in the 2027 campaign.
Keyamo has considerable experience in presidential campaign communication.
He served as a spokesperson and Director of Public Affairs during Tinubu’s 2023 presidential campaign and also held a senior communications position during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2019 re-election campaign.
He later served as Minister of State for Labour and Employment under Buhari before becoming Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development under Tinubu.
