Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has declared himself the field commander for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign in the FCT, pledging to coordinate political mobilisation in the territory and Rivers State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Wike made the declaration on Monday, October 12, 2026, at a stakeholders’ meeting of the Rainbow Coalition in Abuja, where he unveiled a cross-party mobilisation strategy involving members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking at the meeting, the former Rivers State governor said political differences would not prevent members of the two parties from working together to secure Tinubu’s re-election.
“For the Presidency, all of us have agreed that it is Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I will coordinate the FCT and Rivers State. So you can imagine how important it is,” Wike said.
He added, “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 other political stakeholders from the FCT’s six area councils.
The gathering also saw PDP National Assembly candidates in the FCT declare support for their APC counterparts, signalling an effort to build cooperation across party lines ahead of the elections.
Wike urged participants to prioritise the coalition’s presidential objective over 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.
However, he clarified that the arrangement was primarily focused on the presidential contest, leaving participating parties to determine their positions on other electoral races.
To justify the strategy, Wike cited the 2024 Edo State governorship election, claiming that cooperation between political interests from the APC and PDP had influenced the outcome. He argued that political alliances could succeed when participants agreed on a common objective.
The minister also defended Tinubu’s re-election bid by pointing to infrastructure projects and administrative reforms in the FCT.
He listed road construction and rehabilitation, school renovations, police stations and other public facilities among the projects being executed under the current administration.
Wike further cited the establishment of the FCT Civil Service Commission and the creation of the Women Affairs and Youth Development Secretariats as reforms he said had expanded opportunities for residents and civil servants.
On the economy, the minister acknowledged that some of Tinubu’s policies had imposed hardship on Nigerians but argued 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 not be immediate.
Wike also expressed support for the proposed establishment of state police, describing it as an important measure for tackling insecurity.
His declaration adds to early political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the minister seeking to coordinate support for Tinubu across the FCT and Rivers State through a coalition involving stakeholders from the two major parties.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments