By Ben Adoga, Abuja
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Monday assumed responsibility for coordinating President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign in the FCT and Rivers State, declaring himself the “commander of field operations” for the presidential contest.
Wike made the declaration at a stakeholders’ meeting of the Rainbow Coalition held at his official residence in Life Camp, Abuja, where APC and PDP leaders moved to forge a common political front ahead of the 2027 election.
The mobilisation recorded an immediate political development as PDP National Assembly candidates in the FCT stepped down for their APC counterparts and declared their readiness to work together to secure Tinubu’s re-election.
Wike, who said political leaders and candidates from both parties had agreed to set aside partisan differences for the presidential election, expressed confidence that the coalition would deliver the FCT and Rivers State to Tinubu.
“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,” Wike said.
“I am in charge of the FCT election. I am the commander of field operations as far as the FCT election is concerned.”
The meeting was attended by APC and PDP stakeholders, including party chairmen, serving and former senators, National Assembly candidates and political leaders from the six area councils of the FCT.
Wike said the meeting was aimed at building a coordinated political structure capable of mobilising voters for Tinubu while allowing the participating parties to maintain their identities in other electoral contests.
“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 this election, we are together,” he said.
He cited the 2024 Edo State governorship election as an example of the electoral strength of strategic political alliances, saying cooperation among political forces contributed to the defeat of the incumbent governor’s succession plan.
Wike, however, clarified that the coalition was primarily targeted at the presidential election, stressing that the participating parties remained free to determine their positions on other contests.
Making a case for Tinubu’s re-election, the minister challenged political leaders to identify any of the six area councils that had not benefited from infrastructure projects and institutional reforms under the administration.
He listed the establishment of the FCT Civil Service Commission, appointment of a Head of Service from within the territory’s workforce and creation of the Women Affairs and Youth Development Secretariats among the administration’s achievements.
Wike also cited road construction and rehabilitation, renovation of schools, police stations and other public facilities as evidence of development across the territory.
He argued that the projects and institutional reforms would provide the coalition with a basis for mobilising residents behind Tinubu in 2027.
On the economy, Wike defended the administration’s reforms, acknowledging the hardship they had imposed on Nigerians but insisting that difficult decisions were necessary to address longstanding economic problems.
“Changing the economy of a country is not like a prayer,” he said, stressing that the benefits of reforms might not be immediate.
The minister also backed the proposed establishment of state police, describing it as an important step towards addressing the country’s security challenges.
He urged members of the coalition to concentrate on their common presidential objective and work together to secure Tinubu’s re-election.
The major highlight of the meeting was the decision by PDP National Assembly candidates in the FCT to step down for their APC counterparts, underscoring the coalition’s resolve to close ranks and build a unified political structure ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
