Wike made the remarks during an interview with ARISE TV while responding to questions about his political relevance, his continued membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and his support for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
The former Rivers State governor said political influence should not be measured solely by the office a politician occupies.
“I can convince my people. Even if I'm not a governor, I can convince my people to vote. It's my duty to provide leadership,” Wike said.
He also criticised politicians who, according to him, spend only a short period in their constituencies before returning to Abuja, arguing that political leaders should maintain a stronger connection with the people they represent.
Wike further defended his decision to remain in the PDP despite supporting Tinubu, insisting that he had never claimed to be a member of the APC.
“I never told the President I was in APC. Who am I?” he said, adding that if he eventually decides to join the APC, the decision would be his to make.
Wike also maintained that President Tinubu was the only person in the current administration with the standing to question his political decisions.
“The only person that can question me today is the President. No other person,” he said.
Asked whether his political leverage depends largely on his relationship with Tinubu, particularly if the President wins a second term in 2027, Wike rejected the suggestion that his relevance would disappear once Tinubu leaves office.
He said a politician does not have to occupy a position of authority to remain relevant, arguing that influence depends on how an individual conducts himself and how people perceive him.
“For him to be relevant, must he occupy a position of authority? No, certainly not,” Wike said.
He pointed to his political standing in Rivers State as evidence of his continued influence, saying people in the state remember the condition of the state before his administration.
Wike also reiterated his support for Tinubu's re-election, saying he had made his position clear from the beginning.
According to him, supporting Tinubu does not require him to abandon the PDP or prevent the party from presenting candidates for other elective positions.
He argued that the PDP's presidential candidate, if one emerges, remains free to contest, but said winning the presidency would be difficult for the opposition party.
Wike also dismissed concerns that his support for Tinubu amounted to an identity crisis, saying political actors should be free to make their positions known.
“I made my position known,” he said.
The FCT minister also criticised those opposing his political strategy, saying they could not expect to dictate his political decisions.
“You cannot have your way all the time. It’s not possible. Not people like us,” he said.
His comments come amid an open disagreement between Wike and the APC Governors Forum over his proposed Rainbow Coalition.
The APC Governors Forum has said its members will support APC candidates at all levels, while Wike maintains that politicians can support Tinubu at the presidential level while backing candidates from other parties in governorship and legislative contests.
The disagreement has raised broader questions about how cross-party support for Tinubu could operate in the 2027 elections, particularly in states where APC candidates will compete against candidates supported by politicians who are themselves backing the President.
For now, Wike says his political allegiance on the presidential contest is clear: he supports Tinubu, while retaining his membership of the PDP and his freedom to participate in other political contests according to his own political judgment.
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