The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared himself the field commander of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign in the FCT, pledging to coordinate mobilisation efforts in the territory and Rivers State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Wike made the declaration on Monday 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) to secure Tinubu’s re-election.
The meeting also saw PDP National Assembly candidates in the FCT declare support for their APC counterparts. Wike said participants had agreed to work together to ensure Tinubu’s victory and support APC candidates in the National Assembly elections.
“For the presidency, all of us have agreed that it is Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I am going to coordinate the FCT and Rivers State,” he said, adding that he was in charge of field operations for the president’s campaign in the territory.
The minister urged participants to set aside party affiliations for the presidential election, saying the coalition was committed to pursuing a common objective despite members belonging to different political parties.
Citing the 2024 Edo State governorship election, Wike argued that political alliances could influence electoral outcomes when stakeholders worked towards a shared goal. He, however, clarified that the coalition’s agreement was primarily focused on the presidential election, leaving participating parties to determine their positions on other contests.
Making a case for Tinubu’s re-election, Wike 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 listed road construction and rehabilitation, school renovations, police stations and other public facilities among the projects being executed across the territory. He also cited the establishment of the FCT Civil Service Commission, the appointment of a Head of the Civil Service from within the territory’s workforce, and the creation of the Women Affairs and Youth Development Secretariats as achievements of the administration.
Wike maintained that the reforms had expanded opportunities for career progression among FCT civil servants and increased participation in governance. He expressed confidence that the administration’s record would help mobilise residents to support Tinubu in 2027.
The minister also defended the President’s economic reforms, acknowledging that some policies had caused hardship but arguing that difficult decisions were necessary to address longstanding economic challenges. He further backed the proposed establishment of state police, describing it as an important measure for tackling Nigeria’s security problems.
The meeting was attended by APC and PDP stakeholders, including party chairmen, serving and former senators, National Assembly candidates and political leaders from the FCT’s six area councils.
