President Bola Tinubu has said Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike will be warmly welcomed into the All Progressives Congress (APC) if he decides to join the ruling party.
Speaking on Wednesday, June 11, at the commissioning of the Arterial Road N16 in Abuja’s Katampe District, Tinubu praised Wike’s governance efforts and jokingly referenced his trademark campaign tune.
“We have somebody, Nyesom Wike, he is not a member of my party (APC), not yet,” Tinubu said. “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’.”
The president’s comment sparked laughter from the crowd, including Wike, underlining the growing camaraderie between both men despite belonging to rival political parties.
Wike, a key figure in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), shocked many when he supported Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election, rejecting his own party’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar, after a divisive primary.
Although he never formally defected, Wike accepted a ministerial position in Tinubu’s APC-led cabinet and was appointed FCT Minister in August 2023, an action that fuelled bitter divisions within the PDP.
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His latest public show of loyalty came during a media chat on 3 June, when he declared, “I am a key asset. I will lead President Tinubu’s re-election campaign in Rivers State.”
Wike’s role in the 2023 elections and his growing closeness to the APC have made him a polarising figure within the PDP.
Prominent members such as Bode George and Dele Momodu have criticised his conduct, accusing him of undermining the party’s unity.
Adding to the tension, Wike recently demanded that the PDP zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South. Speaking on behalf of the “Concerned Stakeholders of the PDP,” he called for fairness and inclusion in the party’s future arrangements.
He also insisted that only the PDP’s National Secretary, Senator Sam Anyanwu, has the constitutional authority to issue notices for national meetings, a veiled response to the ongoing leadership dispute within the party.
As 2027 approaches, Wike’s future, whether within the PDP or in the APC, remains one of the most watched political storylines in Nigeria.