…says APC, PDP leaders now work together for development
Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has urged state governments to adopt the territory’s Rainbow Coalition model, arguing that cooperation between political parties can reduce political hostility and create a more stable environment for development.
Wike said the arrangement had brought politicians from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) together in the FCT and Rivers State, demonstrating that political differences need not translate into violence or undermine governance.
Speaking at an interactive engagement with political leaders, traditional rulers, women and youths in Kuje Area Council, the minister said the model offered an alternative to the confrontational politics that often characterises Nigeria’s electoral process.
“If Nigerian politics can come to this level, we will not be hearing about fighting; we will not be seeing ourselves killing each other,” Wike said.
He said the coalition was built around cooperation and collective decision-making, with political stakeholders expected to support candidates emerging from the arrangement regardless of their party affiliations.
The minister cited former FCT senator Philip Aduda as an example of a politician whose support, according to him, extended beyond party boundaries.
However, Wike also used the engagement to urge Kuje residents to scrutinise their representatives ahead of the 2027 general elections, arguing that accessibility, accountability and performance should guide electoral choices.
He criticised what he described as inadequate engagement between the territory’s current senatorial representative and constituents, contrasting this with Aduda’s relationship with communities.
“Aduda knows them. Aduda knows when they have problems. Aduda knows when they are sleeping, and Aduda knows when they are crying. That is the essence of representation,” he said.
Wike warned residents against entrusting their political future to people he described as “political gamblers”, insisting that voters should assess candidates on their records rather than promises.
The minister’s appeal for cross-party cooperation comes as political stakeholders begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 elections. At the Kuje meeting, several speakers pledged support for the administration and the APC, while others called for wider representation and more infrastructure across the area council.
Shuibu Pada, Hakimi Agwai of Kuje Area Council, pledged the community’s electoral support, saying residents would reciprocate the administration’s interventions. He, however, urged the FCT administration to extend road construction to underserved communities, including routes connecting Rubochi, Kwali and neighbouring settlements.
Earlier, Jibrin Usman Wowo, senator, expressed support for President Bola Tinubu and the APC, saying political stakeholders in Kuje had consulted across groups, including women, youths, older residents and traditional rulers, and agreed to back the party in the forthcoming elections.
“Honourable Minister, I want to assure you that we in Kuje Area Council have sat down and agreed that Kuje people are going to vote APC from top to bottom,” Wowo said.
Tanko Yamawo, FCT chairman of the APC, also commended the administration’s infrastructure programme and political engagement, saying the coalition had encouraged leaders from the APC and PDP to work together.
Ismael Dogora, FCT chairman of the PDP, attributed the absence of reported incidents of vehicle destruction during the current campaign activities in the territory to improved political cooperation. He also praised the administration for addressing demands that, he said, had previously prompted protests by residents.
His remarks underscored the coalition’s cross-party character, although the pledges of electoral support made at the meeting were statements by individual political leaders and do not independently establish the voting intentions of all Kuje residents.
Aishatu Yakubu, Kuje women leader, commended the administration for recognising women’s role in political mobilisation but called for greater inclusion of women in governance and decision-making. She also appealed for additional road projects across the area council.
Samuel Shekwolo, chairman of Kuje Area Council, credited Wike’s administration with changing perceptions of the area through infrastructure development and bringing political stakeholders from different parties together.
He urged residents to support candidates backed by the coalition in the January 16, 2027 elections, naming Tinubu, Aduda and Dablandi Chiya among those he asked them to support.
Beyond the political discussions, Wike pledged that the road project linking the Airport Road–Tipper Garage corridor to Gwagwalada would be completed and commissioned by the end of December.
He recalled that traditional rulers in Kuje had previously identified the road as a priority, citing its poor condition and the need to improve connectivity between communities in the territory.
According to the minister, the first phase of the project had been commissioned, with Vice-President Kashim Shettima representing Tinubu during activities marking the administration’s third anniversary.
“Let me assure you, to the glory of God, by the end of December, we will also commission the one that leads to Gwagwalada,” Wike said.
He urged residents to compare the road’s previous condition with its current state, describing the project as part of efforts to improve access and living conditions in the FCT’s satellite communities.
Pada and Yakubu called for the administration to extend similar interventions to interior communities, arguing that residents outside the main road corridors also required improved transport links.
Wike maintained that the Rainbow Coalition was intended to make political competition less hostile and encourage leaders to work together on shared development priorities.
The December completion of the Gwagwalada road project remains a commitment by the minister, while the broader political impact of the coalition will be tested as the 2027 elections approach.
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