Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has committed to rallying voters across Rivers State and the FCT behind President Bola Tinubu’s upcoming re-election campaign for the January 16, 2027 presidential polls.
Wike made the pledge on Wednesday while delivering a goodwill message at the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, where he was assigned to coordinate the campaign in Rivers State and the FCT.
He said he was confident of securing support for the President in the two areas, declaring, “I’m pledged, by the grace of God, Rivers and FCT will vote massively for Bola Ahmed Tinubu. That is my joy. I have only two assignments, Rivers and FCT.”
The former Rivers State governor also urged members of the campaign council to prioritise electoral results over the positions they occupy, warning that appointments and campaign responsibilities would mean little without victory at the polls.
“What is important is that you deliver your state. If you don’t deliver your state and the President wins, don’t say we have won,” he said.
Wike also defended the Tinubu administration’s approach to governance, arguing that the President had demonstrated leadership by confronting difficult national challenges that previous administrations had avoided.
Citing state police as an example, he said successive administrations had recognised its potential role in addressing insecurity but had failed to take decisive steps towards its establishment.
“By the grace of God, in the next few months, I’m sure that will be passed to have state police in Nigeria. That is leadership. That is leadership,” Wike said.
He further argued that political opposition should not automatically translate into rejecting government policies, insisting that democracy allows opposition parties to scrutinise the government and highlight areas requiring attention.
“Democracy allows opposition to be there, to look at things that the ruling party or the ones in power are not concentrating on. Democracy is to bring out these issues you are not tackling,” he said.
Speaking in his capacity as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, Wike maintained that the opposition should acknowledge government actions it considers beneficial rather than oppose them simply because they are undertaken by the ruling party.
He expressed confidence that the campaign council would return after the election to celebrate the President’s victory, saying, “January 16th, 2027, to the glory of God, we will come back here and say thank you to the Almighty God.”
What You Should Know
FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has set strict performance benchmarks for politicians ahead of the 2027 presidential elections, making it clear that personal accountability and grassroots delivery will determine true political success within the ruling structure.
- Positive Impact: Encourages political actors to remain closely connected to their constituents and actively work for local development to secure actual votes.
- Potential Concerns: Raises political tension and creates high-stakes pressure within campaign structures, potentially deepening internal party rivalries.
