Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), says he is counting on an alliance between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to secure support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
Wike made the declaration in Abuja on Wednesday during a meeting with political leaders and stakeholders from both parties in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC). Participants pledged to mobilise support for Tinubu ahead of the presidential election.
The meeting brought together party officials, traditional rulers, women’s groups and youth representatives, as Wike sought to build cooperation across party lines in the FCT.
Wike, who said he coordinates the APC Presidential Campaign Council in the FCT and Rivers State, attributed the political realignment to Tinubu’s leadership and the administration’s infrastructure projects and policy reforms.
He cited the Apo-Karshi Road, which he said had stalled for 16 years before work resumed under the current administration.
The minister also highlighted the appointment of career civil servants as permanent secretaries and heads of service, as well as the establishment of the Women Affairs and Youth Development secretariats.
Defending the removal of the petrol subsidy, Wike described the decision as a necessary reform that previous administrations had been unwilling to implement.
“Every president said it was a scam, but nobody had the courage to say it would go. That is the pain we will endure till we get it right,” he said.
He said increased statutory allocations to state and local governments had improved their capacity to finance infrastructure projects and reduced their reliance on commercial bank borrowing.
Wike urged voters, particularly young people, to support Tinubu and other candidates aligned with the campaign. He said a campaign council would be inaugurated the following week.
“The comprehensive campaign council will be inaugurated next week. Be rest assured that all logistical backing required for a landslide victory has been fully secured,” he said.
Ishaku Yamawo, FCT APC chairman, said the meeting showed that members of rival parties could cooperate despite their political differences.
“Today, we are sitting under the same roof for APC and PDP because somebody has changed the narrative of politics,” Yamawo said.
He commended Tinubu for addressing concerns of FCT indigenes, including the appointment of an indigene as a minister and infrastructure projects in communities such as Gishiri and Guzape.
Mohammed Dogara, FCT PDP chairman, also expressed support for the initiative, saying political differences should not prevent cooperation on development.
“What reason do we have as FCT indigenes and non-indigenes to say we are not going to support Mr President? No reason,” Dogara said.
He said the party structure would mobilise at the grassroots ahead of January 16, 2027, and urged traditional rulers and community leaders to encourage support for development initiatives.
Nicodemus Marchi, district head of Jikoyi, commended Wike for addressing security concerns and advancing road projects. He also cited the upgrading of traditional rulers’ status after years of waiting.
Musa Jeji, chairman of the FCT Gbagyi Youth Forum, AMAC chapter, said youth associations across the council’s wards were prepared to participate in the mobilisation.
Hilmary Aipoh, a former FCT APC women leader, cited the establishment of the Women Affairs Secretariat and improvements to rural roads as measures that could benefit women and farmers.
She described AMAC’s 4,400 polling units as a key focus for the campaign and called for greater participation of women in its structure.
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