By Our Reporter
President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday says he will welcome Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) whenever he chooses to officially join.
Speaking during the commissioning of the Arterial Road N16 and other infrastructure in the Katampe District of Abuja, President Tinubu commended Wike’s contribution to governance and light-heartedly referenced the minister’s signature tune from his previous political rallies.
“We have somebody—Nyesom Wike—he is not a member of my party (APC), not yet.
“But the day he changes his mind and registers with the progressives, we will welcome him. Because we will enjoy singing ‘as e dey pain dem, e dey sweet us’,” Tinubu said.
The president’s remarks drew laughter from the audience, including Wike himself, reflecting a continued mutuality between the two political figures.
Wike, a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has stirred political discourse since publicly supporting Tinubu during the 2023 general election.
Though he remained in the PDP after Tinubu won the highly contested presidential seat, he accepted a ministerial appointment from the APC-led administration and was sworn in as FCT Minister in August 2023.
His decision to serve under a rival party, while still maintaining his PDP membership, deepened internal rifts within the main opposition party.
His political trajectory has increasingly aligned with President Tinubu. After losing the PDP’s presidential primary in 2022, he refused to support the party’s eventual candidate, Atiku Abubakar, during the general election.
Since then, Wike has publicly pledged to support Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, even stating on 3 June that he was prepared to lead the campaign in Rivers State.
“I am a key asset. I will lead President Tinubu’s re-election campaign in Rivers State,” Wike stated in a recent media chat.
His often-repeated declarations and support have drawn mixed reactions from observers and party loyalists like Bode George and Dele Momodu