Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has urged Rivers State voters to reject former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi in the 2027 presidential election.
He called them ‘political gamblers’ pursuing presidential ambitions without a clear vision for Nigeria.
Wike spoke at a Rainbow Coalition town hall meeting in Ayama, Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State, where he asked people to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
Speaking to traditional rulers, party members, and community representatives, the minister warned residents not to trust politicians who keep running for president without offering real solutions to the country’s problems.
“Don’t trust your destiny to political gamblers. Don’t trust your destiny to ‘kalokalo’ people,” he said.
Wike said some politicians run for president every four years just to recoup past political investments, instead of working toward a clear plan for national development.
He singled out Atiku and Amaechi, whom he linked to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and Obi, whom he identified as the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), describing them as political gamblers.
“These people are political gamblers and you cannot give your destiny to ‘kalokalo’ people. You cannot hand over your destiny to political gamblers.
“Give your destiny to someone we know, who has tried and succeeded,” Wike said.
The minister said people should run for office because they have a clear vision for the country, not just personal ambition or a desire to recover political investments.
Wike also asked Amaechi to explain what he has done for Abua/Odual, and urged residents to judge leaders by the projects they have finished, not just by their campaign promises.
He defended his record as Rivers State governor and asked residents to look at the projects completed during his time in office when choosing who to support in the 2027 elections.s.The minister also praised Tinubu’s administration, saying it has helped stabilise important parts of the economy and brought peace to universities, though he did not give specific examples in his speech.d.
Wike encouraged residents to support Tinubu’s re-election and to vote for candidates supported by the Rainbow Coalition in the 2027 general elections.
He named Kingsley Chinda for governor, Felix Obua for the Rivers West Senatorial District, and Solomon Boss for the Abua/Odual-Ahoada East Federal Constituency, along with Tinubu for president. He said all these candidates are running under the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He also asked residents to support John Iderima, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the Abua/Odual State Constituency.
Speaking at the meeting, Chinda praised Wike for visiting communities to mobilise support for Tinubu and other Rainbow Coalition-endorsed candidates.
“This is a system that we will sustain when we come into government. We have learnt from him, and we will continue.
“It will be a bottom-up approach; the people will decide and determine their fate in government,” Chinda said.