2027: Wike mobilises grassroots support for Tinubu’s re-election in FCT

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has urged residents to mobilise grassroots support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, saying a multi-party rainbow coalition will unite political stakeholders across party lines.

Mr Wike made the call on Monday during the commissioning of the Gwagwalada Civil Centre in Abuja, where he met political stakeholders from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the area council.

In a statement signed by his spokesperson, Lere Olayinka, Mr Wike said the coalition showed that the collective interest of the people mattered more than individual political ambitions.

He urged Nigerians to embrace the rainbow coalition as a platform for national unity, political cooperation and sustainable development.

Mr Wike also criticised politicians who opposed the alliance, accusing them of failing to understand the value of unity and of being unable to command support within their communities.

“Some greedy and selfish politicians do not understand what we call unity. They have no capacity to hold their space; they have no capacity to even hold their families, and they have no capacity to hold their communities. So they can open their mouths and say there is no Rainbow Coalition,” he said.

He challenged critics to explain why political leaders who had previously disagreed could not work together to pursue common interests.

The minister described the political cooperation in Gwagwalada as a departure from confrontation, saying the FCT needed collaboration rather than unnecessary political hostility.

Mr Wike urged FCT residents not to repeat what he described as their mistake in the 2023 general elections, stressing the need for effective representation in the National Assembly.

He said the territory needed representatives who understood the challenges facing residents across its six area councils and could communicate their demands effectively to the federal government.

The minister also canvassed support for former FCT senator, Philip Aduda, and other candidates endorsed by the coalition, saying elected representatives should be accessible to their constituents and understand their concerns.

He urged residents to turn their support for Mr Tinubu into votes in the 2027 presidential election.

“On the day of the election, it will not be a day for market or fishing. It is the day all of us have decided to come together and demonstrate our strength through our votes. Go to the polling units, districts and communities and mobilise the people to vote for Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.

The Gwagwalada APC chairman, Ishaku Yamawo, described the mobilisation as historic, saying Mr Wike’s political intervention had brought together leaders and politicians who previously belonged to opposing camps.

He said politicians who had not regarded one another as brothers because of party differences were now sitting together and agreeing to work under one political platform in Gwagwalada.

Mr Yamawo also commended the minister for reducing political tensions in the area, saying the campaign had become more peaceful and reduced violence.

The FCT PDP chairman, Ismaila Dogara, also praised Mr Wike for the development and for addressing the abandonment of projects in Gwagwalada over the past 16 years.

Mr Dogara said the presence of political leaders from different parties demonstrated the minister’s commitment to fostering cooperation among stakeholders.