By TheDailyNewsHub News Desk | October 1, 2026
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that he will resign from office if President Bola Tinubu fails to win the 2027 presidential election in the FCT and Rivers State.
Wike made the declaration on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, during a meeting with members of the Apo Mechanics and Traders Association in Abuja, where discussions about the relocation of traders and mechanics also featured political mobilisation ahead of the general elections.
The former Rivers State governor said he would take responsibility for the election results in the two areas, arguing that his position in the Federal Government and his political influence in his home state should be reflected in the level of support for the President.
According to a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, Wike specifically identified January 17, 2027, as the date he would announce his resignation if Tinubu failed to secure victory in the two areas.
“If I cannot deliver where I work, then I’m not worthy to be here,” Wike said.
He added that he had no justification for remaining FCT Minister if the President lost the territory, while also questioning the value of his political support if Tinubu failed to win Rivers State.
The minister’s remarks represent a personal political commitment rather than a formal resignation or a legal requirement linking a minister’s continued appointment to election results.
Wike, who governed Rivers State from 2015 to 2023, has remained an influential figure in the state’s politics despite serving in the administration of President Tinubu, who belongs to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
A member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Wike was among the five governors popularly known as the G5 who opposed their party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, during the 2023 election. He subsequently accepted an appointment as FCT Minister under Tinubu.
His latest statement also highlighted efforts to organise a political alliance in the Federal Capital Territory ahead of the 2027 elections.
Wike said a cross-party arrangement known as the Rainbow Coalition was being developed to support selected candidates across different elective positions.
The minister identified Tinubu as the coalition’s preferred presidential candidate and former senator Philip Aduda as its choice for the FCT Senate seat. He also referred to two former area council chairmen being supported for House of Representatives positions.
The arrangement, as described by Wike, brings together political actors from different parties rather than relying exclusively on the organisational structure of one political party.
The meeting also addressed a longstanding issue involving mechanics and traders operating around Apo Mechanic Village.
Wike assured representatives of the affected businesses that the administration was working toward relocating them to the Wasa informal sector before the end of 2026.
The relocation exercise is intended to address land-use and infrastructure challenges associated with the existing trading and mechanical workshop areas. According to reports of the meeting, the administration is conducting a physical enumeration of beneficiaries as part of preparations for the move.
The engagement therefore combined discussions about an ongoing FCT development and relocation programme with the minister’s political plans for the next general elections.
Wike’s declaration comes as political parties and alliances continue preparations for the 2027 presidential contest. His commitment places particular emphasis on the FCT, where he currently oversees federal administration, and Rivers State, where he previously served as governor.
However, the eventual election results will be determined by voters in the respective jurisdictions, and Wike’s stated intention to resign remains conditional on those results.
For now, the minister continues in office, while the proposed Rainbow Coalition and the Apo traders’ relocation arrangements remain separate political and administrative developments ahead of the election.