The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has challenged supporters of President Bola Tinubu to ensure his re-election in 2027 by delivering their polling units, wards, local governments and states.
Wike warned that political leaders must not claim credit for electoral victories without securing votes at the grassroots, insisting that every stakeholder must take responsibility for the outcome in their respective areas.
He gave the charge on Saturday at the Rainbow Coalition Stakeholders Meeting and unveiling of FCT National Assembly candidates, organised by the FCT Stakeholders Assembly at the Old Parade Ground, Abuja.
The gathering brought together traditional rulers, political leaders, area council chairmen, indigenous communities and residents, who endorsed Tinubu for a second term, alongside Senator Philip Tanimu Aduda for the FCT senatorial seat, Hon. John Gabaya for Abuja North Federal Constituency and former Bwari Area Council Chairman, Danladi Chiya, for Abuja South Federal Constituency.
“Deliver your polling unit, deliver your ward, deliver your local government, deliver your state,” Wike told the gathering.
He added: “I don’t want to hear that I lost my polling unit, but we won. There is no grammar like that. If you lose your polling unit, don’t say you won, because you never contributed to the victory.”
The minister urged FCT residents not to repeat what he described as the mistake of the 2023 general election, saying the 2027 poll presented an opportunity to make a better political choice.
“We shall never make the mistake we made in 2023. Are we going to make the same mistake? No! When you realise a mistake, you correct it,” he said.
Wike also urged residents to support Aduda’s return to the Senate, describing him as their son, father and friend. He questioned the performance and accessibility of the incumbent senator, asking whether the current representative had adequately engaged constituents or sponsored bills to advance the interests of the FCT.
The minister attributed the endorsement of Tinubu to the President’s interventions in infrastructure development and institutional reforms, particularly the upgrading of traditional institutions after 27 years.
He disclosed that Tinubu had also approved the provision of Sports Utility Vehicles for traditional rulers, scheduled for presentation on December 4.
Wike commended the six area council chairmen for working with the FCT Administration across party lines, saying their cooperation had helped drive development in the city centre and satellite communities.
He listed the establishment of the FCT Youth Development Secretariat, Women Affairs Secretariat and Civil Service Commission among the major achievements of the Tinubu administration. He said the commission had opened up opportunities for civil servants to aspire to become permanent secretaries and Head of Service.
The minister also announced November 10 for a meeting with youths from the six area councils and disclosed that he had secured presidential approval for four buses to support grassroots mobilisation.
He urged young people to mobilise women, traditional rulers and other community stakeholders ahead of the election, while promising a separate meeting with persons with disabilities.
“Disability does not mean you do not have capacity. Disability does not mean that you will not exercise your franchise,” he said.
On the Rainbow Coalition, Wike explained that the arrangement was designed to bring political parties together in support of Tinubu without compelling them to abandon their identities. He praised the FCT chairmen of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for supporting the initiative.
He also assured non-indigenous residents of continued inclusive governance, saying the FCT Administration recognised the contributions of Nigerians from different ethnic backgrounds.
Earlier, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (North-Central), Abiodun Essien, praised Wike for improving road connectivity across the FCT, describing the minister’s infrastructure projects as significant achievements ahead of the 2027 election.
Essien said the Federal Government had completed 164 kilometres of roads across the six states in the North-Central, while another 1,207 kilometres were under construction nationwide. He added that 850,000 students in the region were benefiting from the Federal Government’s student loan scheme.
Describing Abuja as a miniature Nigeria because of its diverse population, Essien called on residents to unite behind Tinubu.
“We are here to tell Mr President that we will not just continue to support him; we are going to give him 100 per cent votes in Abuja,” he said.
The President of the FCT Stakeholders Assembly, Dr Aliyu Daniel Bakna Kwali, described the endorsement as a historic initiative that brought together indigenous communities and residents across political and religious divides.
Kwali credited Wike’s leadership and development efforts with boosting confidence in the FCT Administration, particularly the road linking Uje, Gwagwalada, Ruruwoshi and Abaji, which he said would provide motorists with an alternative route during periods of heavy traffic.
He commended Aduda for his political leadership and support for the assembly, while praising representatives of the territory’s 88 indigenous communities and other resident groups for contributing personal funds towards the organisation of the event.
He explained that the assembly was neither a political party nor a religious organisation, but an umbrella body representing political parties, religious groups, indigenous communities and residents.
“We are a coalition of interests, and the interest is inclusive development of the Federal Capital Territory,” he said.
The Renewed Hope Ambassador, Hon. Abdullahi Adamu Candido, described Wike’s appointment as FCT Minister as a blessing to Abuja, saying the Tinubu administration had brought democratic dividends and government closer to the people.
Candido said indigenous communities, including the Gbagyi, Bwari, Gana-Gana, Koro, Gade and Bassa, were beginning to enjoy better representation in governance. He urged Wike to sustain the policy of inclusiveness by ensuring adequate representation for the nine traditional chiefdoms and Nigerians from other ethnic groups living in the territory.
Describing Aduda as the best senator the FCT had produced, Candido urged residents to support Tinubu’s re-election, warning against taking the gains of the present administration for granted.
He said he had toured the 17 graded chiefdoms and witnessed traditional rulers’ support for Wike’s development initiatives. He also cautioned political stakeholders against pretence, urging them to identify those genuinely committed to the coalition.
Candido, who recalled promoting ethnic balance during his tenure as Abuja Municipal Area Council chairman, said every ethnic group living in the FCT should have a sense of belonging.
Speaking on behalf of the other APC National Assembly candidates, Aduda commended Tinubu for appointing Wike as FCT Minister, saying the administration had recorded achievements in infrastructure and human capital development.
He listed the establishment of the FCT Civil Service Commission, Youth and Women Secretariats, removal of the FCT from the Treasury Single Account and upgrading of traditional institutions among the administration’s major interventions.
Aduda disclosed that 30 inherited projects had been completed, alongside 76 projects awarded by the Wike administration, while another 10 were expected to be completed before the end of the year.
The FCT APC Chairman, Hon. Ishaku Tanko Yamawo, praised Wike for promoting cooperation across party lines, describing the Rainbow Coalition as a new approach to politics without bitterness.
His PDP counterpart, Samaila Muhammad Dogara, also supported the initiative, saying Tinubu’s appointment of a minister from outside the FCT political establishment had given the territory a stronger voice in the Federal Government.
Similarly, the AMAC Chairman and FCT ALGON Chairman, Hon. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, endorsed Tinubu’s second-term bid on behalf of the six area council chairmen. He, however, appealed for the payment of outstanding compensation to indigenous people whose lands had been acquired for development and their inclusion in future land allocations.
FCT youth groups, led by Youth Leader Yamawo Destiny and Resident Coordinator Felix Acka, pledged support for Wike and the Tinubu administration. They commended the establishment of the FCT Youth Development Secretariat, the appointment of Hon. Angwa Abdullahi to head the agency and the construction of a youth centre in Karu.
Acka described the gathering as a historic convergence of more than 858 communities across the FCT’s 17 chiefdoms. He reaffirmed the residents’ support for Wike and Aduda, while appealing for vehicles to strengthen grassroots mobilisation.
Traditional rulers, including the Ona of Abaji and Permanent Chairman of the FCT Council of Chiefs, His Royal Majesty, Alhaji (Dr.) Adamu Baba Yunusa, alongside other inter-tribal traditional leaders, also pledged their support for Wike and the endorsed candidates.
The meeting ended with participants pledging to work together ahead of the 2027 general election.
