Politics • Nigeria • 2027 Elections

PDP Rejects Wike’s Call to Back Tinubu in 2027

By Sojworldnews • October 23, 2026

The PDP rejects Wike’s call to back President Bola Tinubu in 2027, at least through its Tanimu Turaki-led faction. The faction has vowed never to support the re-election bid. It insists the opposition must offer Nigerians a real alternative. As a result, the row exposes deep divisions as the 2027 contest approaches.

Ini Ememobong, the faction’s national publicity secretary, said reports of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike’s plan to collapse his political structure for Tinubu were not new. Furthermore, he said the minister’s message was not meant for genuine PDP members. Instead, he argued, it targeted people who pretend to belong to the opposition while working for the ruling party.

“The PDP will never support the re-election of President Tinubu.”

Ememobong then explained why the PDP rejects Wike and his coalition. He said the opposition’s paramount duty is to provide an alternative to the incumbent. Therefore, he said, any alliance should form among opposition parties, not with the governing party. He also warned that the so-called rainbow coalition threatens electoral democracy and could push the country toward an electoral monarchy.

Wike, however, shows no sign of backing down. He has reaffirmed his support for Tinubu’s second term and defended the Rainbow Coalition. “My concern is that the President will be re-elected for the second term,” he said. Meanwhile, he has pledged to mobilise voters in Rivers State and the FCT for the January 16, 2027 presidential election.

Importantly, Wike says his position does not stop other parties from fielding candidates. He describes the coalition as separate from the APC and as a platform for members of different parties. “Politics is local,” he said, urging stakeholders with state-level problems to settle them separately. Earlier, he even called himself an asset to Tinubu’s second-term effort.

Indeed, the PDP rejects Wike’s stance on principle, according to the faction, and it has held that line for months. It earlier called any PDP endorsement of Tinubu “immoral and unjust.” Likewise, it said any reconciliation with Wike’s group must strengthen the party’s role as an opposition, not reduce it to a subordinate one.

Other opposition figures have joined the fight. Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde ruled out reconciliation, saying anyone dealing with Wike’s group has effectively agreed to back Tinubu. Wike answered sharply. “A fight you can’t fight, don’t start it,” he said. Meanwhile, PDP chieftain Bode George said the party would field its own candidate and would not work for Tinubu’s re-election.

Courts have complicated matters further. An Appeal Court ruling nullified the 2025 convention that produced Turaki and recognised the Wike-backed leadership. As a result, former Lagos governorship candidate Funso Doherty quit the party and cited his belief in a united opposition. At the same time, fact-checkers stress an important point. There is no official PDP resolution endorsing Tinubu. The endorsement came from a faction within the party.

So what does this mean for the opposition’s chances? Analysts will debate that for weeks, but the risks are clear. Because the PDP rejects Wike so openly, the party now looks split in public. First, two rival camps now claim the PDP’s name, structure and ticket. Consequently, voters may struggle to tell who actually speaks for the party. Second, every legal tussle drains time and money that a campaign needs. Third, Wike’s open support for the president blurs the line between opposition and government. That blurring may push frustrated voters toward other platforms.

Nevertheless, the Turaki faction sees an opportunity. By drawing a hard line, the faction shows the PDP rejects Wike and his approach, and it hopes to win over Nigerians who want a genuine challenge to the ruling party. Still, a clear message alone cannot win an election. The opposition must also settle its internal disputes, agree on candidates and build a credible coalition. Otherwise, the divisions could hand the advantage to the incumbent before voting even begins.

For now, the battle lines are drawn. The PDP rejects Wike’s call as firmly as ever, and neither side is blinking. The coming weeks will test whether the opposition can unite or whether the split deepens.

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