Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has said he will not support Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma’s bid for Senate President.
Wike made the statement on Monday during an appearance on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout.
“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,” he said.
He also accused Uzodimma of trying to persuade lawmakers to support his bid for the Senate presidency.
Wike’s remarks come amid a longstanding disagreement between him and the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), which Uzodimma belongs to.
The PGF said last week that it would not support political agreements or alliances that could undermine President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid or the party’s candidates in the 2027 elections.
The governors were referring to the Wike-backed Rainbow Coalition, a cross-party group supporting President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign.
Wike, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said in January that the alliance marked a shift from party politics to a broader political movement focused on advancing the interests of the state.
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Backstory…
The Imo State Governor, who plans to return to the Senate, is reportedly considering a bid for Senate President.
However, the Senate amended its standing rules in May, significantly narrowing the eligibility criteria for principal and presiding positions.
Under the revised rules, only senators who have served continuously in the chamber for at least eight years can contest for Senate President or Deputy Senate President.
The amendment also changes the route to other influential positions in the Red Chamber. Order 4 requires the Senate to strictly follow ranking when selecting senators for presiding positions.
The ranking order includes former senators who served at least one term, former members of the House of Representatives, former principal officers, former Senate presidents, former deputy Senate presidents and first-time senators where no other eligible candidates are available.
Order 5 also requires senators to have served at least two consecutive terms before their nomination to any principal office.
The amendment effectively bars incoming senators from contesting positions such as Senate president, deputy Senate president, Senate leader, chief whip and minority leader in 2027 if they did not serve in both the 9th and 10th senates.
‘Tinubu’s re-election my priority’-Wike
Meanwhile, the minister has reaffirmed that securing President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in the 2027 presidential election remains his top political ambition.
Recall that Wike previously declared that he is prepared to give the Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and other opposition candidates crisis in the forthcoming 2027 election.
Wike made the statement on Monday in Abuja while speaking to journalists after inspecting several ongoing road projects in the Federal Capital Territory.
The minister also denied claims that the Rainbow Coalition, a cross-party group he belongs to, was formed to undermine established political parties.
He described the allegations as “baseless” and said the coalition aims to unite supporters of Tinubu’s administration across political parties.
Wike said his immediate political priority is the 2027 presidential election and ensuring the continuation of Tinubu’s administration beyond 2027.
“My primary concern is whether Tinubu will be re-elected for a second term, and I have made it known from the onsets that I am going to support Mr President with all my might and strength,” he said.
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