Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that he will coordinate President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign in the FCT and Rivers State ahead of the 2027 general election.
Wike made the declaration on Monday during a stakeholders’ meeting of the Rainbow Coalition in Abuja, where he brought together members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to build a common political platform ahead of the election.
The former Rivers State governor said political differences among stakeholders would not prevent them from working together to achieve the objective of securing Tinubu’s return to office.
“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,” 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 was attended by APC and PDP leaders, including party chairmen, serving and former lawmakers, National Assembly candidates and political stakeholders from the six area councils of the FCT.
Wike said the gathering was aimed at creating a united front ahead of the 2027 elections, urging members not to allow party differences to affect their support for Tinubu’s presidential ambition.
“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 minister pointed to the 2024 Edo State governorship election as an example of how political alliances could influence electoral outcomes, claiming that cooperation between some APC and PDP members played a role in preventing the then incumbent governor from producing a successor.
According to him, the experience showed that political coalitions could succeed when stakeholders unite around a common goal.
Wike, however, explained that the arrangement was mainly focused on the presidential election, adding that participating parties would decide their positions on other electoral contests.
While seeking support for Tinubu’s re-election, the minister challenged critics to identify any FCT area council that had not benefited from projects and reforms under the current administration.
He listed the establishment of the FCT Civil Service Commission, appointment of an FCT Head of Civil Service from within the territory’s workforce, and creation of the Women Affairs and Youth Development Secretariats as some of the administration’s achievements.
Wike said the reforms had improved career opportunities for FCT workers and increased residents’ participation in governance.
He also highlighted ongoing infrastructure projects, including road construction and rehabilitation, school renovations, police stations and other public facilities across the territory.
The minister expressed confidence that the projects and reforms would strengthen support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
On the administration’s economic policies, Wike defended the reforms introduced by Tinubu, acknowledging that some decisions had created temporary difficulties for Nigerians.
He, however, argued that major economic changes require time to produce results.
“Changing the economy of a country is not like a prayer,” Wike said, adding that the benefits of reforms might not be immediate.