The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has ruled out the possibility of him contesting against President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
The former Rivers State Governor made the pledge while speaking in a television chat with journalists in Abuja on Friday, November 24, 2023.
Though President Tinubu has spent less than one year on the job, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has yet to roll out activities for the next general elections, talks of a possible second term are rife.
However, if the President decided to seek re-election, he would have the pleasure of striking Wike's name off the list of people who might be interested in taking his job.
The minister confirmed this on Friday when he reiterated that his main concern is to ensure that the Tinubu administration succeeds in delivering the goods for expectant Nigerians.
While showing his appreciation to the President for appointing him into his cabinet, the minister said he would allow anyone to crash the political structure on which Tinubu rode to the presidency.
"Tinubu made me the FCT minister and I won't allow anybody to crumble that political structure. No! I have heard many people say they are empowering me for 2027. Even the Chief of Staff told me about this, but those are people who don't have character. Me I have character," Wike said.
He added, "Tinubu made me minister, I have character. What will happen in 2027? I stood and I said I'm not going to support injustice. I was threatened that they will do me this and that. They tried many options, including using military Generals."
Reacting to questions on the rift between him and his successor in Rivers State, Sim Fubara, Wike reticently said, "Give a man power and money, that is when you will know the person. If you have not given a man power and money don't say you know the person.
"He may be your friend, he may be your son, sister or mother or father. I don't want to go into that," he added.
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