Director of Politics at Arise News, Sumner Sambo, has cautioned the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to be careful with his political calculations ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Sambo said the emergence of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate from Rivers State could significantly affect the voting pattern in the state.

Speaking on Arise Television’s The Morning Show, he warned Wike against underestimating the influence of opposition figures and the growing political challenge to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

His comments came amid renewed exchanges between Wike and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, over political developments in Rivers State.

Sambo argued that Rivers voters could not be taken for granted, citing the large crowds that reportedly welcomed Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso during their visits to the state.

“For the vice presidential candidate of the ADC to come from Rivers State, it means that in the state, the vote will not go exactly the way he is thinking,” he said.

He described Rivers as one of Nigeria’s most cosmopolitan states, stressing that political leaders could not simply impose their preferences on the electorate.

Sambo also claimed that some APC governors were becoming concerned about the political coalition being built by Wike, particularly over the possibility of voters splitting their choices among different political parties during the 2027 elections.

According to him, the arrangement could create confusion over presidential, governorship and other candidates and potentially affect President Bola Tinubu’s electoral prospects.

“The governors are already having a morbid fear that this coalition that Nyesom Wike is building may actually injure President Tinubu at some point,” Sambo said.