The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has urged Rivers State residents to reject opposition figures Atiku Abubakar, Rotimi Amaechi and Peter Obi, describing them as political gamblers unfit to determine Nigeria’s future.
Wike made the remarks during a Rainbow Coalition town hall meeting in Ayama, Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State, where he mobilised support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
He warned voters against entrusting the country’s leadership to politicians he accused of repeatedly seeking the presidency without presenting a clear vision for national development.
“Don’t trust your destiny to political gamblers. Don’t trust your destiny to ‘kalokalo’ people,” Wike told the gathering of traditional rulers, party supporters and community stakeholders.
He specifically named former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi as politicians he described 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,” he said.
“Give a destiny to somebody who we know, who has tried all this, and he has done it.”
Wike argued that repeated presidential contests without a proven record of delivering development offered little assurance of addressing Nigeria’s challenges.
He contrasted such political ambitions with leaders whose repeated attempts at public office were driven by a clear national vision, citing former United States President Abraham Lincoln as an example.
The minister also challenged Amaechi to demonstrate his contributions to Abua/Odual, insisting that voters should assess politicians based on projects delivered rather than campaign promises.
Wike praised Tinubu’s administration for what he described as efforts to stabilise key sectors and restore industrial harmony in tertiary institutions, urging residents to support the President in the 2027 elections.
He also called on voters to support APC candidates, including Rivers State governorship candidate Kinsley Chinda, Felix Obua for Rivers West Senatorial District and Solomon Boss for the Abua/Odual-Ahoada East Federal Constituency.
Wike, however, urged residents to vote for John Iderima, the Peoples Democratic Party candidate for the Abua/Odual State Constituency.
Chinda commended Wike for mobilising support across communities, saying the coalition would adopt a bottom-up approach to governance if elected.
“This is a system that we will sustain when we come into government. We have learnt from him, and we will continue,” Chinda said.
Earlier, Prof. Continue Eketu, who spoke on behalf of Abua/Odual communities, praised Wike’s leadership and listed projects executed in the area during his tenure as Rivers State governor.
Eketu said the communities had agreed to vote for the coalition’s candidates.
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