Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has challenged supporters of President Bola Tinubu to deliver their polling units, wards, local governments and states in the January 16, 2027 presidential election, warning that public endorsements must translate into actual votes.
Wike said political stakeholders who fail to secure votes in their polling units should not claim credit for electoral victories elsewhere, insisting that grassroots mobilisation would determine the strength of their support for Tinubu’s re-election.
“Deliver your polling unit, deliver your ward, deliver your local government, deliver your state,” he said on Saturday at the Rainbow Coalition Stakeholders Meeting and unveiling of FCT National Assembly candidates in Abuja.
“I don’t want to hear that I lost my polling unit, but we won. There is no grammar like that. If you lose your polling unit, don’t say you won, because you never contributed to the victory.”
The meeting, organised by the FCT Stakeholders Assembly at the Old Parade Ground, brought together traditional rulers, political leaders, area council chairmen, youth groups and representatives of indigenous communities and residents.
Participants endorsed Tinubu for a second term, alongside former FCT senator Philip Tanimu Aduda for the FCT senatorial seat, Don Gabaya for Abuja North Federal Constituency and former Bwari Area Council Chairman, Danladi Chiya, for Abuja South Federal Constituency.
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Wike urged residents not to repeat what he described as the mistakes of the 2023 general election, saying the 2027 polls offered an opportunity to correct previous political decisions.
“We shall never make the mistake we made in 2023. Are we going to make the same mistake? No! When you realise a mistake, you correct it,” he said.
He also canvassed support for Aduda, questioning the performance and accessibility of the incumbent senator.
“Today, can you say in all honesty, the person representing you in the Senate, does she care about you? Has she called you for a meeting any day? Can she move any bill for the betterment of the FCT?” he asked.
Wike attributed the endorsement of Tinubu to the administration’s infrastructure projects and reforms in the FCT, particularly the upgrading of traditional institutions.
He said successive administrations had failed to upgrade the territory’s traditional institutions for 27 years until Tinubu approved the exercise.
The minister also disclosed that the President had approved the provision of Sports Utility Vehicles for traditional rulers, which would be presented on December 4.
He identified the establishment of the FCT Youth Development Secretariat, Women Affairs Secretariat and Civil Service Commission as some of the administration’s achievements.
According to him, the Civil Service Commission has opened opportunities for FCT civil servants to rise to the positions of permanent secretary and Head of Service, unlike in previous years when their careers ended at director level.
Wike also announced November 10 for a meeting with youths from the six area councils, following complaints that they had struggled to secure an audience with him.
He said he had obtained Tinubu’s approval for four buses to support youth mobilisation across the territory.
The minister urged young people to mobilise women, traditional rulers and other grassroots stakeholders ahead of the election. He also promised a separate meeting with persons with disabilities, encouraging them to participate actively in the electoral process.
Explaining the Rainbow Coalition, Wike said the arrangement was designed to unite political parties behind Tinubu without requiring them to abandon their political identities.
He commended the FCT chairmen of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for supporting the initiative, describing it as a platform for political cooperation beyond party affiliations.
Earlier, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (North-Central), Abiodun Essien, praised Wike’s infrastructure projects, saying they would feature prominently in the 2027 campaign.
Essien said the Federal Government had completed 164 kilometres of roads across the six states in the North-Central, while another 1,207 kilometres were under construction nationwide.
He also said 850,000 students in the region were benefiting from the Federal Government’s student loan scheme.
Essien urged FCT residents to unite behind Tinubu, pledging that the coalition would work towards delivering overwhelming support for the President in the territory.
The President of the FCT Stakeholders Assembly, Aliyu Daniel Bakna Kwali, described the gathering as an initiative to unite indigenous communities and residents across political and religious divides.
He said the assembly was an umbrella body representing political parties, religious groups, indigenous communities and other residents, with inclusive development as its central objective.
The Renewed Hope Ambassador, Abdullahi Adamu Candido, also endorsed Tinubu’s re-election, describing Wike’s appointment as FCT minister as beneficial to Abuja.
He urged the administration to sustain inclusive governance and ensure adequate representation for the territory’s nine traditional chiefdoms and residents from different ethnic backgrounds.
Speaking on behalf of the other APC National Assembly candidates, Aduda commended Tinubu for appointing Wike as FCT minister, citing infrastructure and institutional reforms.
He said 30 inherited projects had been completed, alongside 76 projects awarded by the Wike administration, while another 10 were expected to be completed before the end of the year.
Aduda promised that the candidates, if elected, would pursue legislation to strengthen governance and development in the FCT.
The FCT APC Chairman, Ishaku Tanko Yamawo, and his PDP counterpart, Samaila Muhammad Dogara, also backed the coalition.
Similarly, the AMAC Chairman and FCT ALGON Chairman, Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, endorsed Tinubu’s second-term bid on behalf of the six area council chairmen.
Maikalangu, however, appealed to the FCT Administration to expedite payment of outstanding compensation to indigenous people whose lands had been acquired for development and ensure their inclusion in future land allocations.
Youth representatives and traditional rulers, including the Ona of Abaji and Permanent Chairman of the FCT Council of Chiefs, Adamu Baba Yunusa, also pledged support for Wike and the endorsed candidates.
The meeting ended with participants promising to mobilise their communities ahead of the 2027 general election.
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