Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has challenged politicians opposed to the Rainbow Coalition to demonstrate their own capacity for unity, saying some of them cannot even hold their families and communities together.
Wike spoke on Monday at the commissioning of the Gwagwalada Civic Centre and an interactive session with leaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who pledged to work together under the political alliance and support President Bola Tinubu and former Senator Philip Aduda ahead of the 2027 elections.
The minister, who criticised those questioning the existence of the coalition, described them as greedy and selfish politicians who failed to understand the importance of bringing political interests together for the development of the FCT.
“Some greedy and selfish politicians do not understand what we call unity. They have no capacity to hold their space, they have no capacity to even hold their families, and they have no capacity to hold their communities. So they can open their mouths and say there is no Rainbow Coalition.”
He challenged the critics to explain why politicians who once belonged to opposing parties could not put aside their differences and pursue common interests.
Wike said the political arrangement in Gwagwalada represented the kind of cooperation needed in the FCT, rather than unnecessary hostility among political stakeholders.
Turning to the 2027 elections, he urged residents to learn from what he described as the mistake of the 2023 general elections by electing representatives capable of articulating the needs of the territory.
He questioned whether the senator representing the FCT understood the challenges facing residents across Gwagwalada, Kuje, Bwari, Kwali, Abaji and the Abuja Municipal Area Council.
The minister specifically urged support for Aduda and other candidates endorsed by the coalition, insisting that representatives must be accessible and understand the concerns of their constituents.
He also declared support for Tinubu’s re-election, calling on political leaders to begin grassroots mobilisation ahead of the polls.
“On the day of the election, it will not be a day for market or fishing. It is the day all of us have decided to come together and demonstrate our strength through our votes. Go to the polling units, districts and communities and mobilise the people to vote for Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
Earlier, FCT APC Chairman, Ishaku Tanko Yamawo, described the gathering as historic, saying Wike’s intervention had brought together political leaders who previously operated on opposing sides.
He said politicians who had never regarded themselves as brothers because of party differences were now working together under one political platform in Gwagwalada.
Yamawo also commended the minister for reducing political tension in the area, noting that campaigns had become more peaceful, without the destruction of vehicles and other violent incidents previously associated with political activities.
FCT PDP Chairman, Ismaila Mohammed Dogara, also praised Wike’s development interventions, particularly the revival of a project abandoned for 16 years in Gwagwalada.
The Aguma of Gwagwalada, Alhaji Muhammadu Magaji, commended the minister for his contributions to the territory, describing the revival of the abandoned project as a demonstration of the importance of continuity in governance.
Meanwhile, Gwagwalada Area Council Chairman, Kassim Mohammed, listed road projects executed by his administration in Gwagwalada metropolis, Tungan Wada, Abum-pe and other communities.
He thanked Wike for approving the establishment of a one-inch chip facility in the area but appealed for intervention on the road linking the Army checkpoint to the Specialist Hospital.
Former council chairman, Zakari Angulu Dobi, recalled that the Civic Centre was nearly 80 per cent completed when he left office but suffered vandalism during the 16 years it remained abandoned, reducing its completion level to about 40 per cent.
He commended the incumbent chairman for reviving the facility, describing its completion as a victory for residents regardless of their political affiliations.
Also speaking, Adamu Mustapha Danze urged FCT residents to reciprocate the attention given to the territory by Tinubu and Wike through their votes in 2027.
The Gwagwalada Area Council Women Leader, Hajara Abdullahi, pledged women’s support for Tinubu, Aduda and other APC candidates, while appealing for a cottage hospital to complement existing healthcare facilities.
The Gwagwalada Youth Leader and Special Assistant to the council chairman, Inuwa Guzo, also pledged the support of youths across the APC and PDP blocs for the Rainbow Coalition. He appealed for the rehabilitation of the Gwagwalada football stadium, which he said had been abandoned for more than 25 years.
