We will welcome you to APC. Whenever You Decide, Tinubu Tells Wike
President Bola Tinubu has stated that he will welcome Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) when he decides to join officially.
President Tinubu praised Wike’s contribution to government when commissioning Arterial Road N16 and other projects in Abuja’s Katampe District and made a light-hearted reference to the minister’s signature music from prior campaign rallies.
“We have somebody: Nyesom Wike. He is not yet a member of my party (the APC).
“But when he changes his mind and joins the progressives, we will welcome him. We would enjoy singing ‘as e dey pain dem, e dey sweet us,’ Tinubu remarked.
The president’s statements elicited laughter from the audience, including Wike himself, indicating that the two political figures continue to agree.
Wike, a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has sparked political debate by officially supporting Tinubu in the 2023 general election.
Though he stayed with the PDP after Tinubu won the hotly disputed presidential election, he accepted a cabinet post from the APC-led administration and was sworn in as FCT Minister in August 2023.
His decision to represent a rival party while remaining a PDP member exacerbated internal divisions among the main opposition party.
His political trajectory has become more aligned with President Tinubu. After losing the PDP’s presidential primary in 2022, he declined to back the party’s ultimate candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in the general election.
Since then, Wike has publicly committed to back Tinubu’s re-election effort in 2027, even saying on June 3 that he was willing to lead the campaign in Rivers State.
“I am a valuable asset. “I will lead President Tinubu’s re-election campaign in Rivers State,” Wike said in a recent media interview.
His frequently repeated remarks and support have elicited diverse reactions from observers and party supporters such as Bode George and Dele Momodu.
Since its loss in the 2023 presidential election, the PDP has experienced substantial internal difficulties, with Wike emerging as a divisive yet pivotal figure in the party’s post-election fate.
Wike made waves again on Monday, calling for the PDP’s presidential ticket to be zoned to the South ahead of the 2027 elections.
Following a consultative meeting, Wike spoke on behalf of the “Concerned Stakeholders of the PDP” about the importance of equity and inclusion.
The statement also addressed procedural legitimacy within the party, stating that only the National Secretary, Senator Sam Anyanwu, has the constitutional authority to issue notices for national meetings.