2027: Wike, Adeleke, Soludo’s alliance with Tinubu rattles opposition

The controversy followed Tuesday’s unveiling of the expanded Tinubu Presidential Campaign Council, which named Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo; Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke; and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, as campaign coordinators.

Soludo, a member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, was appointed coordinator for Anambra, while Adeleke, who secured his governorship victory on the platform of the Accord Party, was named coordinator for Osun.

Wike, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, was appointed coordinator for Rivers State and the Federal Capital Territory.

The source claimed that the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and former Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola, was unhappy that Adeleke had been appointed to coordinate Tinubu’s presidential campaign in the state.

“This development is unsettling some of our members in the states. For example, the former governor of Osun State, Oyetola, who should ordinarily be the party’s leader in the state, is unhappy that the APC Presidential Campaign Council sidelined him and appointed the incumbent governor, who is a member of the Accord Party, as the state coordinator. Members of the party are also unhappy with the decision,” the source said.

The APC chieftain said a similar situation had emerged in Rivers State, where Wike was appointed campaign coordinator instead of the governor.

However, a member of the Presidential Campaign Council’s media team, Segun Showunmi, dismissed fears that the appointments would undermine Tinubu’s re-election bid.

Showunmi said disagreements were inevitable in a large political party, expressing confidence that all stakeholders would eventually work together to deliver victory for the President.

“All the governors, stakeholders and even opposition leaders appointed as coordinators are expected to deliver their states. All of them are going to work collectively for the President, including APC members at the state, ward and local government levels, where the votes come from.”

In Osun State, Adeleke’s appointment has also exposed differences within Accord, with some party leaders warning that his support for Tinubu could undermine the party’s expansion plans and weaken its candidates.

“Governor Adeleke, the fact that he won his election as governor cannot compel the people of Osun State to vote for President Bola Tinubu,” Olawepo-Hashim said.

He cited the 2011 presidential election, claiming that voters in Osun rejected the political direction of influential leaders and supported the candidate of their choice.

The Ogun State Chairman of Accord, Rotimi Oke, expressed concern that Adeleke’s alliance with Tinubu could weaken the party’s electoral prospects beyond Osun.

Oke said the party had hoped to build on its governorship victory in Osun to expand into Ogun, Lagos and other states, but the governor’s appointment had raised doubts about those ambitions.