Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has dismissed claims that he is secretly nursing a presidential ambition for 2027, calling the reports “another lie from idle minds.”

In a statement released on Saturday, October 18, by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, Wike said the speculation that Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders are pressuring him to contest in the next presidential election is completely false.

“The claim is another lie from idle minds who have nothing to contribute to the development of the country,” the statement read.

Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, instead reaffirmed his loyalty to President Bola Tinubu, making it clear that he is backing the president’s re-election bid.

“The Minister has made it clear where he stands as long as the 2027 presidential election is concerned — he is with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Olayinka stated.

He continued, “Wike does not function in hiding. He does what he says and says what he does. It is shameful that the ‘pull-Wike-down’ elements could not reason beyond such kindergarten tactics. It is clear that they need better brains to think for them.”

Addressing reports of a supposed PDP strategy meeting, Olayinka clarified that the only meeting held on August 20, 2025, involved PDP stakeholders from the southern part of the country and was not related to any presidential agenda.

“The only meeting that took place on August 20, 2025, was that of PDP stakeholders from the southern part of Nigeria, and the purpose was to discuss the meeting scheduled for Lagos on August 21, 2025, by some elements to rubber-stamp a decision to micro-zone party positions zoned to the South,” Olayinka explained.