Why I’ll Never Support Uzodimma To Become Senate President – Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has vowed that he will never support Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State in any bid to become the Senate President of Nigeria in 2027.

Wike made the declaration on Monday night during an appearance as a guest on TVC News’ Journalists’ Hangout.

“Of course, life or death, I will never support Hope Uzodinma to become the Senate President of Nigeria. Everybody knows that,” Wike said.

The FCT minister stated that Governor Uzodinma’s opposition to the Rainbow Coalition Movement stems from concerns that the multi-party group will hinder his ambition to lead the 11th Senate.

Wike leads the Rainbow Coalition, a cross-party political initiative designed to mobilize support for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.

However, governors elected under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), acting through the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), have rejected the coalition, arguing that the arrangement threatens internal party unity and undermines APC candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The PGF is chaired by Uzodinma, who secured the APC senatorial nomination for the Imo West District, despite his tenure as governor ending in January 2028—six months after the inauguration of the 11th National Assembly in June 2027.

During the television interview, Wike accused the Imo State governor of leveraging his office as PGF chairman to advance personal political goals.

He noted that politicians denied tickets within the APC have turned to alternative platforms to participate in the upcoming legislative elections.

“Now, the other people who they have removed and not given tickets have found an alternative to run. And he (Uzodimma) knows that if they run and they win, it means that they are not going to support him to be the Senate President and that knowing fully well that they are running under Wike’s support of PDP, they will not support them,” Wike said.

Wike further alleged that Uzodinma devised a strategy to control National Assembly leadership by encouraging fellow governors to determine all senatorial and House of Representatives nominees in their respective states.

“He (Uzodimma) wants to run for Senate president, and what he does is to say to his colleagues, let us be the ones (governors) who will produce the senators and members of the House of Representatives and some of the Senators.

“Of course, some of the governors are not experienced. So they will buy it, thinking that he is trying to make them powerful. Not knowing that he has his own interest and agenda to become Senate President,” he added.

The minister also questioned Uzodinma’s electoral history, making reference to the legal process through which he assumed the Imo governorship following the 2019 elections.

“Hope Uzodinma. Maybe, to God be the glory, he became a governor by taking fourth position. To the glory of God, he became a governor and that is how this country will open her eyes and say what is going on,” Wike said.