Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has accused Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of working against him despite his support for them in the past.
Wike made the allegation during a media chat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, amid growing political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The minister, who remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has openly backed President Bola Tinubu’s re election bid, putting him in an unusual political position as politicians across party lines reposition ahead of 2027.
Wike’s strongest criticism was directed at AbdulRazaq, whom he accused of championing a campaign against him in political circles.
“Take for example, Kwara, he has been the one championing this campaign against me everywhere. Yes, I have confronted him too. I don’t talk about what I cannot defend,” Wike said.
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According to the minister, AbdulRazaq had accused him of sponsoring politicians against the governor’s preferred candidates in Kwara.
Wike, however, argued that AbdulRazaq should instead appreciate his role in providing political accommodation for aggrieved APC politicians who left the ruling party for the PDP.
He said some of those politicians could have joined the broader opposition coalition against Tinubu but instead chose to operate within the PDP.
The dispute comes amid intense political manoeuvring within the Kwara APC over the succession to AbdulRazaq, who is serving his second term as governor.
Different groups within the party have been pushing competing interests ahead of the 2027 governorship election, including the Coalition of Kwara APC Young Stakeholders and Supporters, which endorsed Speaker Salisu Yakubu Danladi as its preferred candidate in August while expressing confidence in AbdulRazaq’s administration.
Wike’s accusation against Uzodinma was less detailed but equally direct.
“Governor Hope, he knows the support I give to him,” Wike said, recalling that the Imo governor had at one point declined to support him.
He also recalled his previous public support for Uzodinma, including his defence of the governor’s position after the Supreme Court overturned Emeka Ihedioha’s election as Imo governor in 2020.
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Despite the disagreements, Wike said they would not alter his commitment to supporting Tinubu’s bid for a second term.
He also rejected claims that his political activities were designed to undermine APC governors, insisting that he had never concealed his political intentions.
“Any Nigerian who knows me knows that I have never hidden my intention,” Wike said.
