2027: APC, PDP agree to work together in FCT

Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have agreed to work together to secure victory for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, drawing a line under past political hostilities.

The cross-party dialogue took place on Wednesday in Abuja when the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, held an interactive session with party leaders, traditional rulers, women’s groups and youths in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).

The meeting highlighted a shift towards inter-party cooperation, as rival leaders publicly set aside their differences and pledged unified support for the President.

The APC Chairman in the FCT, Ishaku Yamawo, said Wike had changed the political narrative in the territory.

“Before now, when elections were approaching, some of us didn’t talk to our own brothers because they were in the other party. Today, we are sitting under the same roof for APC and PDP because somebody has changed the narrative of politics. A political party is not a barrier to partnering with your brother for victory and progress,” Yamawo said.

He commended Wike for transforming both the physical landscape and political climate of the nation’s capital. He also praised President Tinubu for addressing long-standing grievances among the FCT’s original inhabitants, including the appointment of an indigene as minister and the integration of communities such as Gishiri and Guzape through road projects, infrastructure development and compensation.

Aligning with the APC’s position, the FCT PDP Chairman, Mohammed Dogara, said political hostility in the capital was now a thing of the past.

“It used to be cats and rats, not seeing themselves in the day or night. But today, cats and rats can eat on the same plate. When Wike came to the FCT, he saw that development is key. 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 added that by January 16, 2027, the party structure, down to the grassroots, would be mobilised in support of Tinubu. He urged traditional rulers and community chiefs to lead their people towards development.

The Chairman of AMAC, Christopher Maikalangu, expressed confidence in the coalition’s mobilisation efforts, identifying traditional rulers, indigenous communities and non-indigenes as key participants.

Also speaking, the District Head of Jikoyi, Nicodemus Marchi, compared Wike’s arrival as FCT minister to a cool breeze that restored stability and progress. He praised the minister for tackling insecurity, reviving long-abandoned road projects and upgrading traditional stools from second-class to first-class status after 29 years of neglect.

The Chairman of the FCT Gbagyi Youth Forum, AMAC Chapter, Musa Jeji, who spoke on behalf of youths, declared that organised youth associations across all wards were ready to deliver the territory for Tinubu.

Former APC Women Leader in the FCT, Hilmary Aipoh, commended Wike for establishing the Women Affairs Secretariat and opening rural access roads for farmers.

She described AMAC’s 4,400 polling units as the FCT’s primary political battleground and called on the minister to integrate women directly into the campaign structure.