We will welcome you to APC whenever you’re ready’ – Tinubu tells Wike

President Bola Tinubu has expressed openness to officially receiving the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, into the All Progressives Congress (APC), whenever he decides to join.

Tinubu made this known on Wednesday during the inauguration of the Arterial Road N16 and several other infrastructure projects in Abuja’s Katampe District.

While commending Wike for his dedication to public service and developmental strides, the president playfully referenced the minister’s well-known campaign anthem from his earlier political outings, adding a lighthearted touch to the occasion.

The president’s remarks have further fueled ongoing speculation about Wike’s possible defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC, a move that has long been the subject of political discourse.

“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

The PDP has been in crisis since losing the 2023 presidential election. Photo: X@Lere Olayinka.

The PDP has faced significant internal tensions since its loss in the 2023 presidential election, with Wike emerging as a controversial but central figure in the party’s post-election fate.

On Monday, Wike once again made headlines when he called for the zoning of the PDP’s presidential ticket to the South ahead of the 2027 elections.

Speaking on behalf of the “Concerned Stakeholders of the PDP” after a consultative meeting, Wike emphasised the need for equity and inclusiveness.

The statement also addressed procedural legitimacy within the party, insisting that only the National Secretary, Senator Sam Anyanwu, was constitutionally empowered to issue notices for national meetings.