The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has called on Abuja residents to reconsider their political choices ahead of the 2027 general elections, urging them to support President Bola Tinubu’s bid for another term.
Wike made the appeal on Thursday during a meeting of the Rainbow Coalition, an alliance involving members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Bwari Area Council, Abuja.
He urged residents to learn from the outcome of the 2023 elections, questioning whether they would make the same political decision in the next presidential poll.
“The mistake we made in 2023, would we make that mistake again? If it was an error, would we make that error again?” he asked.
The minister said political differences should not prevent leaders from working together to improve the lives of residents. According to him, the coalition seeks to bring politicians across party lines together in pursuit of common development goals.
“It doesn’t matter the party. After all, party is a vehicle that conveys you to where you are going. When you get there, you come down and work for the interest of the people,” Wike said.
He linked the need to support the Tinubu administration to infrastructure projects in the FCT, announcing that the Gombe-Kubwa Road was expected to be completed by December.
“Let me authoritatively tell you today, by the grace of God, this December, you will do Christmas on this road, Gombe to Kubwa,” he said.
Wike also threw his weight behind former FCT senator Philip Aduda’s return to the Senate, describing him as someone familiar with the challenges facing residents.
“So, I am here today to present to you your own son. The man who understands when you are sleeping. The man who knows when you are crying,” the minister said.
He further revealed that discussions within the coalition had led Julius Adamu, the PDP candidate in the last Bwari Area Council chairmanship election, to withdraw in support of the incumbent chairman, Joshua Ishaku. The move, he said, was part of efforts to foster political cooperation before 2027.
Earlier, Deborah Ayorinde, a women’s leader in Bwari, acknowledged Wike’s interventions but called for more attention to the area’s needs. She described Bwari as the most neglected among the FCT’s six area councils.
The FCT APC Chairman, Tanko Yamawo, and his PDP counterpart, Ismaila Dogara, commended the coalition’s efforts to bridge divisions between the parties and pledged to work towards Tinubu’s re-election.
Traditional leaders at the gathering, including the Sarkin Bwari, Alhaji Awwal Musa Ijakoro II, and the Esu of Bwari, Dr Ibrahim Yaro, also acknowledged ongoing infrastructure projects while urging the government to repair important roads in the area.