The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has called on residents of the Abua-Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, alongside candidates endorsed by his Rainbow Coalition.
Wike made the appeal on Friday at a town hall meeting in Abua-Odual, where he outlined the coalition’s proposed voting arrangement involving candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He urged residents to support Tinubu for a second term, crediting his administration with stabilising key sectors of the economy and restoring industrial harmony in tertiary institutions.
The minister also urged the electorate to vote for Kingsley Chinda for governor of Rivers State, Felix Obua for Rivers West Senatorial District and Solomon Boss for the Abua-Odual-Ahoada East Federal Constituency, all under the APC.
Wike explained that, although the coalition had allocated four electoral positions to the APC, the Abua-Odual State Constituency seat would be contested by the PDP, reflecting his continued affiliation with the party.
He consequently endorsed John Iderima, the PDP candidate for the state constituency, and urged residents to support all candidates selected under the coalition’s arrangement.
“That is why we talk about rainbow, rainbow, rainbow. So, all our votes, whether in the PDP or APC, we will put our votes together for Tinubu and all the candidates mentioned,” he said.
Wike described the Rainbow Coalition as a broad political alliance aimed at securing victory for its preferred candidates in the 2027 general elections.
He cautioned residents against entrusting their future to politicians whom he described as lacking clear development plans and a proven record of governance.
According to him, repeated presidential bids without a coherent policy direction would not provide practical solutions to Nigeria’s challenges.
He maintained that leadership should be measured by concrete achievements and long-term planning rather than repeated attempts to secure political office.
Drawing comparisons with international political figures, including former United States President Abraham Lincoln, Wike argued that political ambition should be driven by a clear vision for national development rather than the mere pursuit of power.
Defending his record as former governor of Rivers State, the minister urged residents to assess political leaders based on projects delivered and their impact on local communities.
He challenged other former governors to demonstrate their contributions to Abua-Odual, citing projects executed in the area during his administration.
Speaking at the meeting, Chinda commended Wike for engaging communities across Rivers State to mobilise support for Tinubu and other candidates endorsed by the coalition.
“This is a system that we will sustain when we come into government. We have learnt from him, and we will continue,” Chinda said.
He stated that the coalition intended to adopt a bottom-up approach to governance, with communities playing a greater role in determining their political 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 and said the communities had agreed to support candidates endorsed by the Rainbow Coalition in the 2027 elections.
