‘We Have Adopted Him as Our Brother’: Wike Throws Weight Behind Tinubu

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has thrown his weight firmly behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s bid for a second term, declaring that Rivers State will stand behind the president in the 2027 general election.

Wike made the declaration on Saturday during a grand civic reception organized in his honour by the Rainbow Coalition in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State. In a speech that underscored his growing alliance with the presidency, the former Rivers governor described Tinubu as “our brother” and said the state would reciprocate the president’s support with votes in 2027.

“Addressing the crowd, Wike repeatedly referred to the president as “our brother,” arguing that Tinubu had earned that description through concrete decisions that directly benefited Rivers people rather than mere political rhetoric. “Tinubu came and gave us the Vice-Chancellor of UNIPORT. This means Tinubu is our brother. Tinubu came and gave us the Vice-Chancellor, University of Environment, Ogoni. This means Tinubu is our brother,” Wike said, insisting that Rivers people would back the president’s re-election because, in his view, the administration had demonstrated goodwill toward the state.

The endorsement is politically significant given Wike’s enduring influence in Rivers politics. Although elected governor on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), he has maintained close ties with Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress (APC) administration since accepting his appointment as FCT minister, becoming one of the country’s most prominent cross-party political figures.

Wike also used the occasion to defend his relationship with the president, arguing that political cooperation should be driven by development rather than partisan rivalry. He praised ongoing federal projects and maintained that Rivers should continue working with the central government regardless of party differences.

His comments arrive as political alignments ahead of the 2027 elections become increasingly fluid. Several opposition figures have begun repositioning within new coalitions, while the ruling APC is seeking to consolidate support across key states, particularly in the South-South region where Rivers remains one of Nigeria’s most strategically important electoral battlegrounds.

The declaration is also likely to deepen debate within the PDP, where Wike’s continued closeness to the Tinubu administration has generated divisions among party leaders. While some view his approach as pragmatic governance, critics argue it further blurs traditional party boundaries ahead of a fiercely contested presidential race.

With nearly a year before the next national elections gather full momentum, Wike’s endorsement signals that the battle for Rivers has already begun. Whether it translates into electoral success remains uncertain, but it reinforces the state’s central role in shaping the political arithmetic of Nigeria’s 2027 presidential contest.