By Ben Adoga, Abuja
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that Rivers State will back President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, urging youths across the state to mobilise support for the President.
Wike made the declaration on Tuesday while addressing a large gathering of youths under the Rivers Rainbow Coalition in Port Harcourt, where he also attacked opposition figures Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi.
The minister described Atiku, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as an unreliable politician whose repeated presidential bids were driven by personal ambition.
“I have been in the same party with Atiku Abubakar. He is not a man who keeps to his words. What he says in the night is not what he says in the morning,” Wike said.
He described Atiku as a “political gambler” and questioned his commitment to the presidential contest, arguing that Rivers voters should support a candidate capable of delivering tangible benefits to the state.
Wike also dismissed Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), describing him as a “social media president” and accusing him of creating a false impression of populism.
“You can make him the president of social media so that he can be going to IDP camps to be celebrating their birthdays and buying corn on the road,” he said.
Defending his political alignment with Tinubu, Wike said Rivers State had benefited substantially from the Federal Government under the present administration.
He cited the appointment of 49 Rivers indigenes to prominent federal positions, describing it as unprecedented in the current democratic dispensation.
The minister also pointed to the Bonny-Bodo road and bridge project, saying the infrastructure had opened up communities that had previously faced serious transportation difficulties.
“We’re not looking for those who are fine or finer. We’re looking for those who will do something that will positively impact Nigerians and also impact on Rivers people,” Wike said.
He urged the coalition’s youth mobilisers to take the campaign to communities and rally residents behind Tinubu and other candidates supported by the group.
“Whether you are Atiku, whether you are Obi, Rivers State is for Tinubu!” Wike declared, drawing a loud response from the gathering.
Wike also announced that the Rivers Rainbow Coalition would formally unveil its candidates on October 27, saying the political platform had come to stay.
The APC governorship candidate in Rivers State, Kingsley Chinda, said his administration would prioritise youth empowerment, vocational training and community development if elected.
“The message we are sending out today is that the youths of Rivers State are unapologetically, unconditionally standing firm with Tinubu for President,” Chinda said.
He said the coalition’s strategy was based on unity and collective action, promising to strengthen technical and vocational education across the state.
Chinda argued that Rivers should develop its own pool of skilled workers rather than depend on neighbouring countries for artisans and technical expertise.
“We can only build the state if we build the youths,” he said.
Leaders of various youth organisations at the event also pledged support for Tinubu and the coalition’s candidates.
Chima Aguma, Coordinator of the Rivers State Rainbow Coalition Youth and South-South Coordinator of City Boys, assured Wike of strong grassroots mobilisation for Tinubu across the state.
“These are people who stood by you throughout the struggle. You can look at their faces; they are people you know and recognise. This is your family; this is your base,” Aguma said.
The Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Rivers State chapter, Bani Nwisabari, presented Wike with a recognition plaque for his role in political inclusion and unity.
Similarly, the President of the National Union of Rivers State Students (NURSS), Justice Uranta, pledged to mobilise students across the state’s 23 local government areas, campuses and the diaspora for Tinubu and Chinda.
He cited projects implemented for student welfare, including the permanent NURSS secretariat, as part of the coalition’s mobilisation message.
