Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has asked Rivers State voters to support President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, arguing that the state has received recognition through federal projects and appointments under the present administration.

Wike made the appeal on Monday while addressing town hall meetings with the Rumueme and Apara kingdoms in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of the state.

Rather than campaign on sentiment, the former Rivers State governor urged residents to assess the Tinubu administration by what he described as its interventions in the state and the opportunities it had created for Rivers indigenes.

He said the president’s appointments of people from Rivers State into strategic positions, alongside federal development projects in the state, should be considered by voters when deciding who to support in 2027.

“Let us forget sentiment and vote for the person who has recognised the people of Rivers State with dividends of democracy and with several appointments,” Wike said.

The minister said Rivers voters had an opportunity to reciprocate what he described as Tinubu’s favourable disposition towards the state by giving the president a strong mandate at the 2027 poll.

Wike, who has remained one of the prominent southern supporters of Tinubu’s re-election bid, said he was personally committed to ensuring victory for the president in Rivers State.

He expressed confidence that Tinubu would face a less difficult battle in 2027 than he did during the 2023 presidential election.

“I know the re-election of Tinubu in 2027 will be easier than that of 2023. We should appreciate Tinubu and ensure he gets a massive number of votes. We can do it,” he said.

Wike disclosed the extent of his personal commitment to the campaign, saying the president’s return to office had become a constant consideration for him.

“Each day I sleep, I am thinking about the president’s re-election. When I am eating, I think about the president’s re-election. Everything I am doing now is about the president’s re-election,” he said.

The minister’s appeal comes as political activities ahead of the 2027 general election continue to intensify, with Rivers remaining a significant battleground in the South-South region.

He consequently urged the people of the state to look beyond political sentiments and support Tinubu based on what he described as the administration’s record of attention to Rivers State.