A stalwart of the governing All Progressives Congress(APC) in Rivers state, Princewill Dike has advised that Nyesom Wike’s electoral influence should be viewed as an asset to President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election, rather than as a threat to the party.
The APC chieftain was responding to comments attributed to Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum, after a meeting of the group.
Uzodinma reportedly said APC Governors would oppose political alliances that could weaken the party or jeopardize President Tinubu’s re-election bid.
In a post on his official Facebook handle, Princewill Dike Platform, Dike, a lawyer, questioned the logic of treating Wike’s political network—known as the “Rainbow Coalition”—as a liability without considering its potential contribution to the president’s electoral prospects.
Dike made reference to the results of the 2023 presidential election, noting that Tinubu got a total of 231,591 votes in Rivers state, compared with 1,647 votes in Imo state.
He argued that the figures demonstrated the electoral importance of Rivers and the political influence Wike continues to exercise there.
“Wike has demonstrated considerable electoral value and political capacity,” Dike said, adding that claims that the former governor’s political structure could undermine Tinubu’s re-election should be assessed against the voting figures.
Wike, although, remains associated with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, his relationship with the Tinubu administration has made him an influential figure in Nigeria’s shifting political alliances.
The APC chieftain also questioned what he described as Uzodinma’s concern over Wike’s growing influence.
He said the FCT minister had continued to demonstrate support for the Tinubu administration through his work in Abuja and his broader political engagements.
The Rivers APC official accused the Imo governor of becoming “jittery” over Wike and invoked Shakespeare’s Othello to suggest that jealousy could be influencing political conduct.
Dike also referred to Uzodinma’s political history in Imo State, including his fourth-place finish in the 2019 governorship election and his subsequent emergence as governor after a Supreme Court ruling.
“Wike’s political relevance should not automatically be interpreted as a threat to the APC”, he added.
Political influence, he argued, is built through performance, organization and the ability to deliver votes.
Dike urged Uzodinma and other APC governors to focus on governance and expanding the party’s electoral base instead of concentrating excessively on Wike.
The priority, he said, should be strategies capable of winning public confidence and strengthening the APC ahead of 2027.
He described Wike as Rivers state’s “political wonder boy” and said the minister’s political capacity could be deployed in support of President Tinubu’s re-election.
