By Sunday Ameh
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has declared that he will not support Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma’s reported ambition to become the next President of the Nigerian Senate.
Wike made his position known on Monday while appearing on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout programme.
The FCT Minister said Uzodimma’s tenure as governor would end in January 2028, arguing that the governor was seeking to move to the Senate afterward.
“This man’s office will expire in January 2028. Now, he wants to leave his office to run for Senate. I will never support a character of Hope Uzodimma to be Senate President of Nigeria,” Wike said.
Wike also alleged that Uzodimma was attempting to influence the emergence of lawmakers who would support his reported bid to preside over the Senate.
The development comes amid an ongoing disagreement between Wike and the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), which is chaired by Uzodimma.
The PGF had last week said it would not support any alliance or political arrangement that could undermine President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid or the interests of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 elections.
The position was widely linked to the Rainbow Coalition, a cross-party political group associated with Wike and backing Tinubu’s re-election.
Wike, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had earlier said the coalition was seeking to move beyond traditional party politics by creating a broader political movement focused on protecting the interests of states.
Uzodimma is seeking election to the Senate and has been reported to be interested in becoming Senate President.
However, changes to the Senate Standing Orders in May introduced additional conditions for lawmakers seeking presiding and principal positions in the chamber.
Under the amended rules, eligibility for Senate President and Deputy Senate President includes at least eight years of continuous service in the Senate, while nominations for presiding positions are expected to follow the principle of ranking.
The ranking provisions cover former Senate presidents, deputy Senate presidents, principal officers, senators who have served at least one term, former members of the House of Representatives and first-time senators where no other eligible candidates are available.
Another provision requires a senator to have served two consecutive terms immediately before nomination for a principal office.
The rules could therefore affect the eligibility of senators elected for the first time in 2027 for key Senate positions, depending on how the provisions are applied.
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