ABUJA — Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has declared that he will never support Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma for the position of Senate President in 2027.
Wike made the declaration on Monday, September 21, during an appearance on TVC News’ Journalists’ Hangout, amid an escalating political disagreement between him and some governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) over his proposed Rainbow Coalition ahead of the 2027 elections.
The FCT Minister accused Uzodinma, who chairs the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), of using his position among APC governors to advance what Wike described as a personal political ambition.
Wike alleged that politicians who lost out in the APC nomination process had begun seeking alternative platforms to contest the 2027 elections.
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According to him, if such candidates win on other platforms, they may not support Uzodinma’s reported ambition to become Senate President.
“Of course, life or death, I will never support Hope Uzodinma to become the Senate President of Nigeria. Everybody knows that. Nobody should ask me questions about it, it is not personal,” Wike said.
Wike also accused Uzodinma of creating political problems within the APC and then attempting to resolve them through what he described as blackmail.
“You cause internal problem for yourself and you do not have the capacity to solve the problem and all you do is to resort to blackmail,” he said.
The former Rivers State governor further questioned Uzodinma’s political trajectory, referring to the circumstances surrounding his emergence as governor of Imo State.
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“Hope Uzodinma, who I’ve always said and I tell people. Maybe, to God be the glory, he became a governor by taking 4th position. To the glory of God, he became a governor and that is how this country will open her eyes and say what is going on,” Wike said.
Uzodinma’s Senate Ambition
Wike said Uzodinma’s tenure as Imo governor will expire in January 2028 and alleged that the governor intends to contest for the Senate in 2027 with the longer-term objective of becoming Senate President.
“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 Uzodinma to be Senate President of Nigeria,” Wike said.
Wike further alleged that Uzodinma had been encouraging governors to influence the emergence of senators and members of the House of Representatives who could eventually determine the leadership of the National Assembly.
He argued that some politicians who were denied APC tickets had instead turned to alternative political platforms, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with backing from his political structure.
Rainbow Coalition Dispute
The latest exchange comes amid a wider disagreement over the Rainbow Coalition, a political arrangement promoted by Wike involving politicians across party lines ahead of the 2027 elections.
Wike has maintained that the coalition is not an APC structure and has described its primary objective as mobilizing support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, while allowing members to support candidates of their choice in other elections.
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The position has generated opposition from APC governors. The Progressive Governors Forum has said it would not support political arrangements capable of weakening the APC or affecting the party’s candidates in the 2027 elections.
Wike, however, has argued that supporting Tinubu for president does not prevent members of the coalition from supporting candidates from other parties in governorship and legislative elections.
The dispute between Wike and Uzodinma therefore continues to centre on the role of governors in the emergence of lawmakers ahead of the 2027 elections, as well as the reported race for the leadership of the National Assembly after the elections.
