Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, has pledged to coordinate President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign in the FCT and Rivers State, unveiling a cross-party mobilisation strategy involving members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2027 elections.
Wike made the declaration on Monday at a stakeholders’ meeting of the Rainbow Coalition in Abuja, where PDP National Assembly candidates in the FCT reportedly agreed to support their APC counterparts.
The minister said the coalition had settled on Tinubu as its presidential candidate, despite differences among its members over party affiliations.
“For the Presidency, all of us have agreed that it is Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I will coordinate the FCT and Rivers State,” he said.
“I am in charge of the FCT election. I am the commander of field operations as far as the FCT election is concerned.”
The meeting brought together APC and PDP stakeholders, including party chairmen, serving and former senators, National Assembly candidates and political leaders from the FCT’s six area councils.
Wike urged participants to put their party differences aside for the presidential contest, saying, “For the purpose of this election, we are together.”
He said the arrangement was primarily focused on Tinubu’s re-election, leaving participating parties to decide their positions on other electoral contests.
The former Rivers State governor cited the 2024 Edo governorship election as an example of how cooperation between political actors from different parties could affect electoral outcomes. He argued that alliances could help stakeholders achieve shared objectives despite their political differences.
Making a case for Tinubu’s second term, Wike challenged political leaders to identify any of the FCT’s six area councils that had not benefited from infrastructure projects or institutional reforms under the current administration.
He listed the establishment of the FCT Civil Service Commission, the appointment of a head of service from within the territory’s workforce, and the creation of the Women Affairs and Youth Development secretariats among the administration’s achievements.
According to him, the changes had improved career advancement opportunities for civil servants and widened participation in governance.
Wike also cited road construction and rehabilitation, school renovations, police stations and other public facilities as evidence of the administration’s performance in the territory.
He expressed confidence that the projects and reforms would help the coalition mobilise FCT residents to support Tinubu in 2027.
The minister also defended the President’s economic policies, acknowledging the hardship caused by some reforms but arguing that difficult decisions were necessary to address longstanding economic challenges.
“Changing the economy of a country is not like a prayer,” he said, maintaining that the benefits of the reforms might take time to become evident.
Wike also backed the proposed establishment of state police, describing it as an important measure for tackling Nigeria’s security challenges.
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