By Sofiat Adenekan-Abdul
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, says he will coordinate President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaigns in the FCT and Rivers State, as Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Assembly candidates pledged support for their All Progressives Congress (APC) counterparts in the territory.
Wike made the declaration on Monday at a stakeholders’ meeting of the Rainbow Coalition in Abuja, where APC and PDP leaders agreed to work together to mobilise support for Tinubu.
“For the presidency, all of us have agreed that it is Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I am going to coordinate the FCT and Rivers State,” Wike 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 party chairmen, serving and former senators, National Assembly candidates and political leaders from the FCT’s six area councils.
Wike urged stakeholders to set aside party differences and work towards Tinubu’s re-election.
“Nobody should say, ‘I am PDP’ or ‘I am APC.’ For the purpose of this election, we are together,” he said.
He clarified that the arrangement focused mainly on the presidential election, leaving participating parties to decide their positions on other contests.
To justify the campaign, Wike challenged political leaders to identify any of the FCT’s six area councils that had not benefited from the
Tinubu administration’s infrastructure projects and institutional reforms.
He cited the establishment of the FCT Civil Service Commission, the appointment of an FCT Head of the Civil Service from within the territory’s workforce, and the creation of the Women Affairs and Youth Development Secretariats as key achievements.
Wike said the reforms had expanded career opportunities for civil servants and strengthened participation in governance.
He also listed road construction and rehabilitation, school renovations, police stations and other public facilities among ongoing projects.
The minister defended Tinubu’s economic reforms, acknowledging that some measures had caused hardship but arguing that difficult decisions were necessary to address longstanding economic problems.
“Changing the economy of a country is not like a prayer,” he said, adding that the benefits of reforms might take time to emerge.
Wike also backed the proposed establishment of state police, describing it as an important measure for tackling Nigeria’s security challenges.
Citing the 2024 Edo State governorship election, he argued that cross-party alliances could influence electoral outcomes. He claimed cooperation between elements of the APC and PDP had helped prevent the incumbent governor from installing a successor.
PRLS
