The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has urged residents of the nation’s capital not to repeat what he described as the mistake of the 2023 general elections.
He urged them to support candidates endorsed by the Rainbow Coalition in 2027.
Wike made the appeal on Monday during the commissioning of the Gwagwalada Civic Centre and an interactive session with political stakeholders from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gwagwalada Area Council, Abuja.
He also criticised politicians opposed to the Rainbow Coalition, which brings together political stakeholders from both parties. According to him, they lack the capacity to unite their families and communities.
“Some greedy and selfish politicians do not understand what we call unity. They have no capacity to hold their space; they have no capacity to even hold their families, and they have no capacity to hold their communities. So they can open their mouths and say there is no Rainbow Coalition,” he said.
Wike challenged critics of the alliance to explain why political leaders who previously disagreed should not work together to pursue common interests and the development of the FCT.
He described the political cooperation in Gwagwalada as a departure from confrontation and hostility, insisting that political differences should not prevent stakeholders from working together.
The minister urged residents to elect credible representatives to the National Assembly to address the challenges facing people across the FCT’s six area councils.
According to Wike, the FCT needs representatives who are accessible to their constituents, understand their concerns and can effectively communicate their demands to the Federal Government.
He canvassed support for former Senator Philip Aduda and other candidates endorsed by the coalition.
“On the day of the election, it will not be a day for market or fishing. It is the day all of us have decided to come together and demonstrate our strength through our votes.
“Go to the polling units, districts and communities and mobilise the people to vote for Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
Earlier, the FCT APC Chairman, Ishaku Tanko Yamawo, described the gathering as historic.
He said Wike’s intervention had brought together political leaders who previously belonged to opposing camps.
Yamawo said leaders who had not considered themselves brothers because of their party affiliations were now working under one political arrangement in Gwagwalada.
He also credited the minister with reducing political tension in the area, claiming that campaigns had become more peaceful, without the destruction of vehicles and other violent incidents previously associated with political activities.
The FCT PDP Chairman, Ismaila Mohammed Dogara, also commended Wike for reviving a project in Gwagwalada that he said had been abandoned for 16 years.
Dogara said the alliance among political leaders across party lines demonstrated the minister’s commitment to cooperation among political stakeholders.
