The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has challenged supporters of President Bola Tinubu to demonstrate their commitment to his re-election bid by ensuring electoral victories at their respective polling units, wards, local government areas and states in the January 16, 2027 general election.
Wike gave the charge on Saturday during the Rainbow Coalition Stakeholders Meeting and unveiling of FCT National Assembly candidates, organised by the FCT Stakeholders Assembly at the Old Parade Ground, Abuja.
The meeting brought together traditional rulers, political leaders, area council chairmen, indigenous communities, youth groups and residents, who endorsed Tinubu for a second term in office.
The stakeholders also endorsed former FCT Senator Philip Tanimu Aduda for the FCT senatorial seat, Hon. Don Gabaya for Abuja North Federal Constituency and former Bwari Area Council Chairman, Danladi Chiya, for Abuja South Federal Constituency.
Addressing the gathering, Wike warned political stakeholders against taking credit for electoral victories without making tangible contributions at the grassroots.
He insisted that political support must be measured by votes secured at individual polling units rather than mere public declarations of allegiance.
“Deliver your polling unit, deliver your ward, deliver your local government, deliver your state,” he declared.
The minister added: “I don’t want to hear that I lost my polling unit, but we won. There is no grammar like that. If you lose your polling unit, don’t say you won, because you never contributed to the victory.”
Wike thanked traditional rulers, political leaders, area council chairmen and residents for supporting the coalition, describing the endorsement as an important political development ahead of the 2027 elections.
He urged residents not to repeat what he described as the political mistakes of the 2023 general election, insisting that past decisions should serve as lessons.
“We shall never make the mistake we made in 2023. Are we going to make the same mistake? No! When you realise a mistake, you correct it,” he said.
Wike Makes Case for Aduda
The FCT minister also called on residents to support Aduda’s senatorial ambition, describing him as someone who understood the people and their concerns.
He questioned the performance and accessibility of the incumbent senator, asking whether she had demonstrated sufficient commitment to the welfare and development of FCT residents.
“Today, can you say in all honesty, the person representing you in the Senate, does she care about you? Has she called you for a meeting any day? Can she move any bill for the betterment of the FCT?” he queried.
Wike said the stakeholders had resolved to support Aduda as their preferred candidate for the 2027 senatorial election.
Why FCT Stakeholders Endorsed Tinubu
Explaining the decision to endorse Tinubu, Wike attributed the support to the President’s interventions in infrastructure development, institutional reforms and the strengthening of traditional institutions in the FCT.
He said successive administrations had failed to upgrade the territory’s traditional institutions for 27 years until Tinubu approved the exercise.
The minister further disclosed that the President had approved the provision of Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) for traditional rulers, which would be presented on December 4.
According to Wike, effective leadership requires courage and the willingness to take decisions in the public interest despite criticism.
“Leadership is key. We must have a leader who is courageous, who will stand firm and do what is right, and who will not bother about criticism. What is right is right,” he said.
He emphasised the importance of traditional institutions in maintaining peace, promoting community development and preserving cultural heritage.
Wike also commended the six area council chairmen for cooperating with the FCT Administration despite their different political affiliations, saying their collaboration had facilitated development across the territory.
He identified the establishment of the FCT Youth Development Secretariat, Women Affairs Secretariat and Civil Service Commission as some of the major achievements of the Tinubu administration.
According to him, the establishment of the Civil Service Commission has opened up opportunities for career progression among FCT civil servants, who can now aspire to become permanent secretaries and Head of Service.
“Before, you only retired as a director. None of them could aspire to be a permanent secretary or Head of Service. But by the grace of God, through Bola Ahmed Tinubu, today they can aspire to be permanent secretaries and Head of Service,” he said.
Wike Announces Meeting With FCT Youths, Four Buses
Responding to concerns raised by youth representatives over their inability to secure an audience with him, Wike apologised for the delay, attributing his demanding schedule to political responsibilities in Rivers State and the FCT.
He, however, announced November 10 for a meeting with youths drawn from the six area councils.
The minister also disclosed that he had obtained President Tinubu’s approval for the provision of four buses to facilitate youth mobilisation across the territory.
“While you were speaking, I had to seek the approval of Mr President. When that is approved, we should give the youths four buses so that they can go around and mobilise our people,” he said.
He urged the youths to mobilise women, traditional rulers and other grassroots stakeholders ahead of the elections.
Wike equally promised to hold a separate meeting with persons with disabilities, urging them to participate actively in the electoral process.
“Disability does not mean you do not have capacity. Disability does not mean that you will not exercise your franchise. So go now and mobilise all your people,” he said.
Explaining the Rainbow Coalition arrangement, the minister said it was designed to unite different political parties behind Tinubu without requiring them to abandon their respective political identities.
He commended the FCT chairmen of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for embracing the initiative, describing it as an opportunity to promote political cooperation beyond party affiliations.
He also assured non-indigenous residents of the territory that the FCT Administration would sustain inclusive governance, stressing that Nigerians from different ethnic backgrounds had representation in the administration.
FG Highlights Infrastructure, Student Loan Achievements
Earlier, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (North-Central), Abiodun Essien, commended Wike for improving road connectivity across the FCT.
Essien, who also coordinates infrastructure mobilisation and the secretariat of the Presidential Campaign Council in the North-Central, described the minister’s infrastructure projects as significant achievements that would feature prominently in the 2027 campaign.
He disclosed that the Federal Government had completed 164 kilometres of roads across the six states in the North-Central region, while another 1,207 kilometres were under construction nationwide.
Essien further revealed that 850,000 students in the North-Central were benefiting from the Federal Government’s student loan scheme.
He said major infrastructure projects, including road corridors connecting communities across different regions, demonstrated the Tinubu administration’s commitment to national development.
Describing Abuja as a miniature Nigeria because of its diverse ethnic composition, Essien called on residents to unite behind the President.
“We are here to tell Mr President that we will not just continue to support him; we are going to give him 100 per cent votes in Abuja. We are going to join hands together to make sure we deliver well come January 16, 2027,” he said.
Stakeholders Assembly Explains Rainbow Coalition
Also speaking, the President of the FCT Stakeholders Assembly, Dr Aliyu Daniel Bakna Kwali, described the endorsement as a historic initiative that brought together indigenous communities and residents across political and religious divides.
Kwali attributed the growing confidence in the FCT Administration to Wike’s leadership and development initiatives, particularly the road linking Uje, Gwagwalada, Ruruwoshi and Abaji.
He said the road would provide motorists with an alternative route during periods of heavy traffic, particularly during festive seasons.
He also commended Aduda for his political leadership and sustained support for the assembly.
Kwali praised representatives of the territory’s 88 indigenous communities and other resident groups for their contributions towards organising the event.
He disclosed that members had made personal financial sacrifices, including contributions from their life savings, after an anticipated source of funding failed to materialise shortly before the programme.
He explained that the FCT Stakeholders Assembly was neither a political party nor a religious organisation, but an umbrella body representing political parties, religious groups, indigenous communities and residents.
“We are a coalition of interests, and the interest is inclusive development of the Federal Capital Territory,” he said.
He added that the Rainbow Coalition reflected the assembly’s commitment to unity and collective development.
Candido Calls for Inclusive Governance
The Renewed Hope Ambassador, Hon. Abdullahi Adamu Candido, described Wike’s appointment as FCT Minister as a blessing to Abuja, saying the Tinubu administration had brought democratic dividends and government closer to the people.
Candido said indigenous communities, including the Gbagyi, Bwari, Gana-Gana, Koro, Gade and Bassa, were beginning to enjoy improved representation in governance.
While commending Wike for extending development initiatives to indigenous people and other residents, he urged the minister to sustain inclusive governance by ensuring adequate representation for the nine traditional chiefdoms and other ethnic groups residing in the territory.
Describing Aduda as the best senator the FCT had produced, Candido called on residents to support Tinubu’s second-term ambition, arguing that the territory should sustain the gains of the current administration.
He said he had toured the 17 graded chiefdoms and witnessed the support of traditional rulers for Wike’s development initiatives.
Candido also urged political stakeholders to distinguish genuine supporters from those he described as pretenders.
Recalling his tenure as chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council, he said he had promoted ethnic balance by appointing people from different parts of the country to key positions.
He maintained that such an approach should be sustained at the FCT level to guarantee a sense of belonging for all ethnic groups while recognising the traditional institutions of the nine chiefdoms.
He pledged the support of the Renewed Hope movement for Tinubu and expressed confidence in the APC’s chances in the forthcoming elections.
Aduda Lists Wike Administration’s Achievements
Speaking on behalf of the other APC National Assembly candidates, Aduda commended Tinubu for appointing Wike as FCT Minister, noting that the administration had recorded interventions in infrastructure and human capital development.
He listed the establishment of the FCT Civil Service Commission, Youth and Women Secretariats, removal of the FCT from the Treasury Single Account and upgrading of traditional institutions among the major achievements of the administration.
Aduda disclosed that 30 inherited projects had been completed, alongside 76 projects awarded by the Wike-led administration, while another 10 were expected to be completed before the end of the year.
He appealed to indigenous communities and other residents to sustain their support for Tinubu, assuring them that the candidates, if elected, would promote legislation to strengthen good governance and development in the territory.
APC, PDP Leaders, Area Council Chairmen Back Coalition
The FCT APC Chairman, Hon. Ishaku Tanko Yamawo, commended Wike for promoting political cooperation across party lines, describing the Rainbow Coalition as a new approach to politics without bitterness.
Similarly, his PDP counterpart, Samaila Muhammad Dogara, endorsed the initiative, saying Tinubu’s decision to appoint a minister from outside the FCT political establishment had given the territory a stronger voice in the Federal Government.
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The AMAC Chairman and FCT ALGON Chairman, Hon. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, also endorsed Tinubu’s second-term ambition on behalf of the six area council chairmen.
He, however, appealed to the FCT Administration to expedite payment of outstanding compensation to indigenous people whose lands had been acquired for development and ensure their inclusion in future land allocations.
FCT Youths Reaffirm Support
FCT youth groups, led by Youth Leader Yamawo Destiny and Resident Coordinator Felix Acka, pledged their support for Wike and the Tinubu administration.
They commended the minister for establishing the FCT Youth Development Secretariat and appointing one of their members, Hon. Angwa Abdullahi, to head the agency.
The youth representatives also praised the establishment of a youth centre in Karu and the administration’s interventions in infrastructure and security.
They said the development projects had improved residents’ lives and helped curb criminal activities around flyovers and bridges.
However, they appealed to Wike to grant them an audience to discuss issues affecting their constituency, noting that they had already submitted a formal request to his office.
Acka described the gathering as a historic convergence of more than 858 communities across the FCT’s 17 chiefdoms, united in support of the minister’s development initiatives.
He said residents were backing Wike because of what they considered his impressive performance, particularly in infrastructure and security.
Acka also reaffirmed their support for Aduda’s return to the Senate in 2027, describing him as a leader who had consistently supported indigenous people and other residents without discrimination.
He commended Comrade Isaac David for bringing traditional rulers, community leaders, women and other stakeholders together to promote unity and harmony across the territory.
Acka, however, appealed to Wike to provide vehicles to facilitate grassroots mobilisation, explaining that inadequate transportation had become a major challenge for youth and resident groups seeking to reach communities across the FCT.
Traditional rulers, including the Ona of Abaji and Permanent Chairman of the FCT Council of Chiefs, His Royal Majesty, Alhaji (Dr.) Adamu Baba Yunusa, alongside other inter-tribal traditional leaders, also pledged support for Wike and the endorsed candidates.
The meeting ended with participants reaffirming their commitment to the Rainbow Coalition and pledging to work together ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The coalition brought together traditional rulers, political leaders, area council chairmen, youth and women groups, and representatives of different political parties under a common platform advocating unity and inclusive development in the Federal Capital Territory.
