ABUJA — FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has linked the political cooperation between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Federal Capital Territory to his call for electoral support for President Bola Tinubu and other candidates favoured by the emerging Rainbow Coalition.
Wike made the appeal during an interactive meeting with traditional rulers, political leaders, women and youths in Kuje Area Council, where community stakeholders promised to mobilise votes for Tinubu and former FCT senator, Philip Aduda, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The minister argued that political differences should not prevent politicians from working together, presenting the Rainbow Coalition as an alternative to the hostility and confrontations that often characterise election campaigns.
He urged other states to emulate the arrangement in the FCT and Rivers State, where APC and PDP members have been cooperating despite their different party affiliations.
“If Nigerian politics can come to this level, we will not be hearing about fighting; we will not be seeing ourselves killing ourselves,” Wike said.
However, the meeting also exposed the political expectations attached to the coalition, as speakers repeatedly linked government interventions, particularly road construction, to their willingness to support the administration and its preferred candidates.
Wike challenged Kuje residents to assess their representatives based on accessibility and responsiveness, rather than party affiliation, arguing that effective representation required a close relationship between elected officials and their constituents.
He cited Aduda as an example of a politician who, according to him, understood the challenges facing residents and remained connected to their needs.
“Aduda knows them. Aduda knows when they have problems. Aduda knows when they are sleeping, and Aduda knows when they are crying. That is the essence of representation,” he said.
The minister also cautioned residents against repeating what he described as a political mistake in the 2023 elections, urging them to consider the performance and accessibility of candidates before deciding whom to support.
On infrastructure, Wike promised that the road project linking the Airport Road–Tipper Garage corridor to Gwagwalada would be completed and commissioned by the end of December.
He recalled that traditional rulers in Kuje had identified the road as a priority during an earlier engagement with him, adding that the first phase had already been commissioned.
Wike said the completion of the remaining section would improve connectivity between communities and demonstrate the administration’s commitment to infrastructure development in the FCT’s satellite towns.
The Hakimi Agwai of Kuje Area Council, Shuibu Pada, welcomed the ongoing projects but called for the extension of road construction to underserved communities, including routes linking Rubochi, Kwali and neighbouring settlements.
Pada assured the minister that residents would reciprocate the administration’s interventions with electoral support, while stressing the need to reach communities beyond the major road corridors.
Similarly, Senator Jibrin Usman Wowo said consultations involving traditional rulers, women, youths and other stakeholders had produced an agreement to support Tinubu and APC candidates in the 2027 elections.
“Honourable Minister, I want to assure you that we in Kuje Area Council have sat down and agreed that Kuje people are going to vote APC from top to bottom,” Wowo said.
The FCT APC Chairman, Tanko Yamawo, attributed the cooperation between APC and PDP leaders to the coalition, describing their willingness to work together as a departure from the adversarial politics of previous years.
PDP FCT Chairman Ismael Dogora also credited Wike’s political engagement with reducing tensions among party supporters, claiming that campaigning had become less confrontational across the territory.
“For the first time, we are campaigning in the FCT and no smashing of cars is recorded anywhere because there is unity in the FCT, courtesy of the Honourable Minister,” Dogora said.
Meanwhile, Kuje Women Leader Aishatu Yakubu called for greater participation of women in governance and decision-making, noting their importance in political mobilisation and electoral participation.
She also appealed for more road projects to address the needs of communities across the area council.
Kuje Area Council Chairman Samuel Shekwolo said the administration’s interventions had helped change perceptions among residents who previously felt neglected in the distribution of development projects.
He commended Wike’s engagement with indigenous and non-indigenous communities, while urging residents to support Tinubu, Aduda and Dablandi Chiya in the January 16, 2027 elections.
Wike urged the stakeholders to sustain the cross-party arrangement, maintaining that political cooperation could promote stability and development.
The meeting underscored the coalition’s dual focus on reducing political hostility and building electoral support around the Tinubu administration, with road projects and local representation featuring prominently in the appeals for votes.
