Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that he will coordinate efforts to secure President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in the FCT and Rivers State in 2027, as Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders forge a common political front.
Wike made the declaration on Monday at a stakeholders’ meeting of the Rainbow Coalition in Abuja, where he unveiled a cross-party mobilisation strategy and disclosed that the coalition had agreed to support Tinubu and APC candidates for the Senate and House of Representatives in the FCT.
“For the presidency, all of us have agreed that it is Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I am going to coordinate the FCT and Rivers State. So you can imagine how important it is,” 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. PDP National Assembly candidates also openly declared support for their APC counterparts.
Wike said the gathering was intended to unite political stakeholders behind a common objective ahead of the 2027 general election, irrespective of their party affiliations.
“I want to let all of you know that we are going to work together. Nobody should say, ‘I am PDP’ or ‘I am APC.’ For the purpose of this election, we are together,” he said.
The former Rivers State governor cited the 2024 Edo governorship election as an example of how cross-party alliances could influence electoral outcomes. He claimed that cooperation between elements of the APC and PDP had helped prevent the incumbent governor from installing a successor.
He said the experience reinforced his conviction that political cooperation could produce results when stakeholders united around a shared goal.
However, Wike clarified that the arrangement was primarily directed at the presidential election, leaving participating parties to determine their positions on other electoral contests.
Making a case for Tinubu’s re-election, the minister challenged political leaders to identify any of the FCT’s six area councils that had not benefited from infrastructure projects and institutional reforms under the current administration.
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 evidence of progress under Tinubu’s government.
According to Wike, the reforms had expanded opportunities for career advancement among FCT civil servants and strengthened participation in governance.
On infrastructure, he listed road construction and rehabilitation, school renovations, police stations and other public facilities among projects being executed across the territory.
He expressed confidence that the administration’s record would provide a basis for mobilising FCT residents to support Tinubu in the 2027 election.
Wike also defended the President’s economic reforms, acknowledging that some of the measures had imposed temporary hardship on Nigerians 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 economic reforms might not be immediately apparent.
The FCT minister also endorsed the proposed establishment of state police, describing it as an important measure for addressing Nigeria’s security challenges.
