The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has accused opposition politicians of double standards and urged residents of Rivers State to assess their records and development plans ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Wike, the National Leader of the Rainbow Coalition, made the remarks at a town hall meeting in Ayama, Abua-Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State, where he canvassed support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Addressing traditional rulers, party supporters and community stakeholders, the minister cautioned residents against entrusting their political future to politicians he described as lacking a clear vision and a proven record of development.
“Don’t trust your destiny to political gamblers. Don’t trust your destiny to ‘kalokalo’ people,” Wike told the gathering.
He used the expression “kalokalo”, referring to a game of chance, to criticise politicians who repeatedly contest presidential elections without, in his view, presenting convincing plans to address the country’s challenges.
Wike named former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi and Peter Obi among the opposition figures he accused of engaging in such politics.
“These people are political gamblers, and you cannot give your destiny to ‘kalokalo’ people; you cannot hand over your destiny to political gamblers,” he said.
“Give your destiny to somebody whom we know, who has tried all this, and he has done it.”
Wike argued that leadership should be assessed on the basis of concrete achievements, a clear development agenda and the capacity to deliver results.
Drawing comparisons with international political figures, including former United States President Abraham Lincoln, he argued that political ambition should be guided by a clear national vision rather than repeated attempts to secure office.
The minister also challenged Amaechi to demonstrate the contributions of his administration to Abua-Odual, insisting that completed projects and their impact on local communities should inform electoral choices.
Wike praised Tinubu’s administration for what he described as efforts to stabilise key sectors of the economy and restore industrial harmony in tertiary institutions.
He urged residents to support Tinubu for a second term in 2027 and endorsed candidates for various elective positions in Rivers State.
The candidates he named included Kingsley Chinda for governor, Felix Obua for Rivers West Senatorial District and Solomon Boss for the Abua-Odual-Ahoada East Federal Constituency, all under the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He also called on residents to vote for John Iderima, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the Abua-Odual State Constituency.
The arrangement reflects the Rainbow Coalition’s stated intention to coordinate support for candidates from the two parties in the forthcoming elections.
Speaking at the meeting, Chinda commended Wike for engaging communities across Rivers State to mobilise support for Tinubu and the coalition’s preferred candidates.
“This is a system that we will sustain when we come into government. We have learnt from him, and we will continue,” he said.
Chinda stated that the coalition intended to adopt a bottom-up approach to governance, allowing communities to participate in decisions affecting their future.
“It will be a bottom-up approach; the people will decide and determine their fate in government,” he said.
Earlier, Professor Continue Eketu, who spoke on behalf of the Abua-Odual communities, described Wike as his political role model and highlighted projects executed in the local government area during the minister’s tenure as governor.
Eketu praised Wike’s leadership style and said the communities had agreed to support candidates endorsed by the Rainbow Coalition in the 2027 elections.
