Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has urged residents of the territory not to repeat what he described as the mistake of the 2023 general elections, calling on them to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
Wike made the appeal on Thursday at an interactive meeting with political stakeholders as well as traditional rulers in Bwari AreaCouncil, where he questioned the performance of the senator representing the FCT, Ireti Kingibe.
The minister, while rallying support for candidates endorsed under the Rainbow Coalition, challenged residents to assess their representatives based on their accessibility and commitment to addressing the needs of their communities, rather than party affiliation.
“The mistake we made in 2023, will we make that mistake again? If it was an error, will we make that error again?” he asked.
Wike questioned whether Kingibe had visited communities across the territory to engage traditional rulers, women and youths on their concerns, asking residents whether they had felt the impact of her representation.
“Today, the people of FCT, do you feel the impact? Do you feel the presence of the senator representing FCT today? Have you seen your senator even one day? Go to Gwagwalada, call the traditional rulers, call the women, call the youth and find out for them what their problems are?” he asked.
He argued that political leaders should be judged by their presence in their communities and their responsiveness to residents’ concerns.
Wike also urged residents to support Tinubu, attributing ongoing infrastructure projects and other interventions in the FCT to the President’s backing and approval.
He cited road construction and projects involving traditional institutions as evidence of the administration’s commitment to addressing longstanding demands in the territory.
“All these things you are saying Minister is doing is because the President is giving me support. He is the one giving the approval. That’s why everything is working out well.”
The minister assured residents that the Bwari-Kubwa road would be ready for use by December, saying the administration would continue to deliver on its commitments.
“Look at the roads. Let me authoritatively tell you today, by the grace of God, this December you will do Christmas on this road, Bwari to Kubwa,” he said.
Wike said the Rainbow Coalition was established to unite politicians across party lines and promote the interests of FCT residents, insisting that political affiliation should not take precedence over development.
“It doesn’t matter the party. After all, party is a vehicle that conveys you to where you are going. When you get there, you drop down from the vehicle and you now work for the interest of the people,” he said.
He urged stakeholders to sustain the political alliance ahead of the 2027 elections and warned residents against politicians he described as “political gamblers”.
The minister also presented former senator Philip Aduda as the coalition’s preferred candidate for the Senate and endorsed John Gbadaya for the House of Representatives, calling on residents to support the candidates alongside Tinubu.
Speaking earlier, Bwari Area Council Chairman Joshua Ishaku thanked Wike for his political support, recalling that the minister had previously urged residents to back his candidacy.
Ishaku said residents had responded to that appeal and voted for him, adding that ongoing projects across the FCT had strengthened public confidence in the administration.
“The Honorable Minister, sir, Bwari is your home. The crowd and support you see here today are unalloyed. This is genuine love being shown to you, sir, and to my administration,” he said.
He urged residents to maintain their support for the minister, saying the community was already experiencing what he described as the benefits of the administration’s commitments.
Also speaking, FCT APC chairman Tanko Yamawo commended Wike for fostering cooperation among politicians from different parties, recalling how political divisions had previously made it difficult for members of rival parties to associate openly.
Yamawo recounted an incident in which a former PDP chairman declined a ride in his car because he feared that entering the vehicle of an APC member could cost him his position.
He said the political atmosphere had since changed, with stakeholders from different parties now working together under the Rainbow Coalition.
“What you have done today is not just for Aduda, Gabaya, and Chiya to benefit, but all of us as politicians in the FCT are going to benefit from what you have started today,” he said.
FCT PDP chairman Ismaila Dogara also expressed support for the coalition, saying the arrangement had gained acceptance among party members and that stakeholders were prepared to work together in support of Tinubu.
Dogara urged Wike to convey the expectations of FCT residents to the President, describing the period as an opportunity for the territory to reciprocate the administration’s interventions.
Traditional rulers at the meeting commended the minister for ongoing infrastructure projects but called for further attention to roads and other facilities in their communities.
The Sarkin Bwari, Alhaji Awwal Musa Ijakoro II, praised the administration’s water projects and road construction around Tokulo, Ushafa and the Bwari-Zuba axis, while appealing for the rehabilitation of the road linking the Army Checkpoint to central Bwari.
The Esu of Bwari, Dr. Ibrahim Yaro, also commended the infrastructure efforts and called for attention to roads linking Karu, Mpape and neighbouring communities.
