The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has mobilised political stakeholders across the territory’s six area councils to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, citing infrastructure projects and institutional reforms under the current administration.
Wike made the appeal at a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja on Monday, where political leaders and candidates from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) pledged to work together towards Tinubu’s re-election.
He said the administration’s development initiatives in the FCT, including road construction, institutional reforms and improvements to public facilities, provided a basis for continued support.
The minister cited the establishment of the FCT Civil Service Commission and ongoing infrastructure projects, particularly the Apo-Karshi Road, which he said would be completed in November.
He also highlighted the appointment of a Head of the Civil Service from within the FCT workforce and the establishment of the Women Affairs and Youth Development Secretariats as measures aimed at expanding opportunities and improving governance.
Wike said he would coordinate Tinubu’s re-election campaign in the FCT and Rivers State, expressing confidence in the ability of political structures across the two states to mobilise support for the President.
“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.
“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 brought together APC and PDP stakeholders, including party chairmen, serving and former senators, National Assembly candidates and political leaders from the six area councils.
A major highlight was the declaration of support for APC candidates by PDP candidates contesting National Assembly seats in the FCT, signalling cooperation between political figures from the two parties ahead of the 2027 elections.
Wike urged participants to put aside party differences in pursuit of their shared presidential 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 minister cited the 2024 Edo State governorship election as an example of how political alliances could influence electoral outcomes. He argued that cooperation between political forces could strengthen their chances at the polls.
He, however, clarified that the arrangement was primarily focused on the presidential election, leaving participating parties to determine their positions on other electoral contests.
Making a case for Tinubu’s re-election, Wike challenged political leaders to identify any of the six area councils that had not benefited from the administration’s infrastructure projects and institutional reforms.
He listed road construction and rehabilitation, school renovations, police stations and other public facilities among the projects he said demonstrated the administration’s development efforts across the territory.
According to him, the reforms had also created opportunities for career progression among FCT civil servants and expanded institutional support for women and young people.
In the economy, Wike acknowledged that some of the President’s policies had imposed temporary hardship on Nigerians but maintained that difficult decisions were necessary to address longstanding economic challenges.
“Changing the economy of a country is not like a prayer,” he said, arguing that the benefits of economic reforms might take time to become evident.
The minister also expressed support for the proposed establishment of state police, describing it as an important measure for addressing Nigeria’s security challenges.
He urged members of the political coalition to prioritise their common presidential objective and coordinate their mobilisation efforts across the FCT and Rivers State.
Wike maintained that cooperation among APC and PDP stakeholders would be central to the coalition’s efforts to secure support for Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
