Wike Rejects Uzodimma’s Reported Senate Presidency Bid, Says ‘I’ll Never Support Him’

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has declared that he will not support Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma for Senate President, amid a widening political disagreement over alliances ahead of the 2027 elections. Wike made the statement Monday during an appearance on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout.

Wike alleged that Uzodimma, whose current tenure as governor is due to end in January 2028, intends to contest for the Senate in 2027 and subsequently seek the leadership of the upper chamber. He also accused the governor of trying to influence the emergence of lawmakers who could support such an ambition.

“This man’s office will expire in January 2028. Now, he wants to leave his office to run for Senate. I will never support a character of Hope Uzodimma to be Senate President of Nigeria.”

The FCT minister’s comments came amid his ongoing disagreement with Uzodimma and other APC governors over the Rainbow Coalition, a cross-party political platform Wike says is focused on mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election. Wike has maintained that the coalition can support Tinubu for president while members and other politicians contest legislative and state elections on different party platforms.

The APC governors, however, have maintained that their political activities are focused on protecting the party, its candidates and Tinubu’s re-election, while opposing arrangements they believe could undermine the APC. Uzodimma, who chairs the Progressive Governors Forum, has been at the centre of the disagreement with Wike over the coalition.

Wike also criticised Uzodimma’s handling of internal political disagreements, accusing him of creating problems he could not resolve and resorting to what he described as blackmail. He further recalled Uzodimma’s emergence as Imo governor following the 2019 governorship election, saying the outcome had shaped his view of the political system.

The minister also took aim at Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, describing him as a “timid man” over his criticism of Wike’s political activities. One of the programme’s anchors, Babajide Otitoju, cautioned Wike that his comments were becoming personal, but the minister continued to outline his grievances against the governor.

Wike said the opposition from Uzodimma and AbdulRazaq to the Rainbow Coalition was linked to deeper political interests, including influence over the emergence of lawmakers and the future leadership of the National Assembly. These are Wike’s allegations; the governors have publicly framed their position around protecting the APC and its candidates ahead of 2027.

The dispute has added another layer to the political contest ahead of the 2027 elections, with Wike insisting that his immediate objective is to mobilise support for Tinubu’s re-election rather than position himself for the 2031 presidency. The disagreement over the coalition and future National Assembly leadership is expected to remain part of the wider political debate as the 2027 election cycle progresses.