2027: Wike Takes Charge of Tinubu’s Re-election Campaign in FCT, Rivers

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has declared himself the field commander for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign in the FCT, saying he will also coordinate efforts to secure support for the President in Rivers State.

Wike made the declaration on Monday at a stakeholders’ meeting of the Rainbow Coalition in Abuja, where political figures from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) agreed to work together ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The former Rivers State governor said the coalition had settled on Tinubu as its preferred presidential candidate and would mobilise political support across the two locations.

“For the presidency, all of us have agreed that it is Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I am going to coordinate the FCT and Rivers State. So you can imagine how important it is,” he said.

Wike added that he would oversee campaign field operations in the FCT, urging participants to put aside their party affiliations in pursuit of the coalition’s objective.

“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.

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.

PDP candidates contesting National Assembly seats in the FCT also declared support for their APC counterparts, signalling cooperation between members of the two parties in the forthcoming elections.

Wike, however, said the coalition’s arrangement was primarily focused on the presidential contest, while the participating parties would determine their positions on other electoral races.

To justify the campaign for Tinubu’s re-election, the minister cited infrastructure projects and institutional reforms undertaken by the Federal Government in the FCT.

He mentioned the establishment of the FCT Civil Service Commission, the appointment of a Head of Service from within the territory’s workforce, and the creation of the Women Affairs and Youth Development secretariats.

He also listed road construction and rehabilitation, school renovations, police stations and other public facilities among projects being executed across the territory.

Wike further defended Tinubu’s economic reforms, acknowledging that some policies had caused hardship but arguing 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 take time to materialise.

The minister also reiterated his support for the establishment of state police, describing it as a potential measure for addressing Nigeria’s security challenges.

Wike, who remains a member of the PDP while serving in Tinubu’s APC-led administration, has continued to back the President’s re-election bid despite opposition within sections of his party to his political alignment with the ruling party.