NEWS
“Life or Death, I Will Never Support Hope Uzodinma” — Wike Rejects Imo Governor’s Senate Presidency Ambition
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that he will not support Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma’s reported ambition to become President of the Senate after the 2027 general elections.
Wike made the declaration on Monday, September 21, 2026, during his appearance on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout, where he spoke extensively about the political developments surrounding the 2027 elections and his ongoing disagreement with some All Progressives Congress (APC) governors.
The former Rivers State governor’s comments placed his disagreement with Uzodimma directly within the wider political contest surrounding the emergence of lawmakers who would constitute the next National Assembly.
Uzodimma, who is also Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), has been linked to plans to return to the Senate after completing his tenure as Imo governor, with his reported interest extending to the position of Senate President.
Wike questioned the governor’s decision to leave the governorship for the Senate and suggested that Uzodimma’s political activities were connected to his reported ambition to lead the upper chamber of the National Assembly.
“Hope Uzodinma became a governor from fourth position. His term will expire by January to February 2028.
“Now, he wants to leave his office to run for senator. He wants to run for Senate President.
“Life or death, I will never support a character like Hope Uzodinma to be Senate President,“ Wike said.
The statement represents a firm rejection of Uzodimma’s reported Senate presidency ambition by Wike, coming at a time when political alignments ahead of the 2027 elections are increasingly taking shape.
The dispute between the two politicians has also become intertwined with Wike’s Rainbow Coalition, a political arrangement involving politicians across party lines. Wike has maintained that the coalition is focused on supporting President Bola Tinubu’s re-election while allowing political parties to continue fielding candidates for legislative and other elections.
Uzodimma, in his capacity as PGF chairman, has been involved in the position of APC governors concerning political arrangements that could affect the party and its candidates ahead of the 2027 elections. Recent disagreements between the two camps have consequently intensified the political exchanges between Wike and the Imo governor.
Wike’s latest declaration therefore adds another significant dimension to the unfolding political battle, particularly as attention begins to shift toward the composition and leadership of the next National Assembly.
The emergence of the next Senate President will ultimately depend on the outcome of the 2027 legislative elections and the subsequent internal calculations and decisions of elected senators.
For now, however, Wike has made his own position unmistakably clear: he says he will not support Uzodimma for the Senate presidency.