Nigeria: Wike will “never” support Uzodimma for Senate leadership

In an interview with TVC News, Wike accused the governor of Imo State of attempting to influence the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates for the Senate and House of Representatives in preparation for what he believes could be Uzodimma’s own candidacy for the leadership of the upper chamber. Hope Uzodimma has not publicly confirmed such an ambition in the statements reviewed.

The confrontation intensified after the Progressive Governors Forum, chaired by Uzodimma, decided to only support candidates officially endorsed by the APC in 2027. On September 15, the party’s governors rejected any alliance that could weaken APC candidates while reaffirming their support for Bola Tinubu’s reelection.

In contrast, Wike advocates for a bipartisan coalition focused on the presidential election. He asserts that officials can support Tinubu while remaining free to back candidates from other parties in legislative or local elections. The former governor of Rivers cites the precedent from 2023, when members of the G5 group supported Tinubu without leaving their respective parties.

Wike also targeted Dapo Abiodun, the governor of Ogun, and AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the governor of Kwara. He accuses them of opposing the Rainbow Coalition for internal political calculations. These accusations come as APC governors seek to maintain a unified front around the party’s candidates at all levels for the 2027 elections.

Wike remains a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) while serving as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory in Bola Tinubu’s government. He insists that the president understands the workings of his coalition and maintains that his national priority remains the reelection of Tinubu, without any commitment to support other APC candidates.