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- Vows to deliver Rivers, FCT for Tinubu
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has urged youths of the Rivers Rainbow Coalition not to waste their votes on former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, describing the former as untrustworthy and the latter as a “fake man”.
Wike, who spoke on Tuesday while addressing the coalition’s youths in Port Harcourt, vowed to deliver Rivers State and the FCT for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections, insisting that the state would remain firmly behind the President.
The minister accused Atiku of inconsistency and dismissed his repeated presidential bids as those of a political gambler driven by personal interests.
“I have been in the same party with Atiku Abubakar. He is not a man who keeps to his words. What he says in the night is not what he says in the morning,” Wike said.
He questioned why Nigerians should entrust the presidency to a politician he accused of repeatedly seeking power without demonstrating consistency.
Wike also took aim at Obi, describing him as a “social media president” who, according to him, relies on populist gestures rather than tangible achievements.
“You can make him the president of social media so that he can be going to IDP camps to be celebrating their birthdays and buying corn on the road,” he said.
Urging the youths to mobilise support for Tinubu, Wike declared: “Whether you are Atiku, whether you are Obi, Rivers State is for Tinubu!”
The FCT minister said political leaders should be judged by their ability to deliver development and improve the welfare of the people, rather than their popularity or campaign promises.
“We are not playing politics for the sake of it without bringing benefits to our people. After all, we are not looking for those who are fine or finer. We are looking for those who will do something that will positively impact Nigerians and the Rivers people,” he said.
Wike cited the Federal Government’s infrastructure projects in Rivers State, particularly the Bonny-Bodo road and bridge network, as evidence of the benefits of supporting Tinubu’s administration.
He also claimed that no fewer than 49 indigenes of Rivers State currently occupy prominent positions in the Federal Government, describing the development as unprecedented.
“What is important is: where is Rivers State, where are we going, and how will the election benefit Rivers State? That is what we are talking about,” he said.
Wike urged the youths to intensify grassroots mobilisation and bring community leaders and residents into the coalition’s campaign efforts ahead of the 2027 elections.
He also directed that youths be adequately represented on committees organising presidential rallies and other campaign activities.
“The committee for the presidential rally must put a reasonable number of our youths,” he said.
The minister announced that the Rivers Rainbow Coalition would formally unveil its candidates on October 27, expressing confidence that the platform would consolidate support for Tinubu and other candidates it endorses.
Earlier, the APC governorship candidate in Rivers State, Kingsley Chinda, pledged to prioritise youth inclusion, vocational training, education and community development if elected.
Chinda said his proposed administration would make bursary payments and students’ welfare a priority, with chairmen of the state’s 23 local government areas expected to take responsibility for supporting young people.
He also promised to strengthen technical and vocational education from primary to secondary school levels, equipping young people with practical skills for employment and entrepreneurship.
“Today, if we are talking about tiling, carpentry, and technical craftsmanship, people start looking towards Cotonou. We believe that very soon, if anyone wants the best tilers or the best electricians in Nigeria, they will come to Rivers State,” he said.
“There will be no compromise. We can only build the state if we build the youths,” he added.
Chinda said local government chairmen would be expected to take students’ welfare, bursary payments and vocational training seriously.
He also reaffirmed the coalition’s support for Tinubu’s re-election, declaring that Rivers youths were committed to mobilising votes for the President.
“The message we are sending out today is that the youths of Rivers State are unapologetically, unconditionally standing firm with Tinubu for President,” he said.
The Rivers State Coordinator of the Rainbow Coalition Youth and South-South Coordinator of the City Boys Movement, Chima Aguma, assured Wike of the group’s commitment to mobilising grassroots support for Tinubu and other candidates endorsed by the coalition.
He described the youths as part of Wike’s political base and pledged to deploy their networks across communities to secure victory for the coalition.
Similarly, the Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Rivers State chapter, Bani Nwisabari, presented a recognition plaque to Wike in appreciation of his role in promoting political inclusion and unity.
Nwisabari, who said he benefited from Wike’s appointment to the state’s Senior Secondary School Board, described the minister as an empowerment strategist and pledged continued support ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Come 2027, the message is very clear and we will do the needful,” he said.
The President of the National Union of Rivers State Students (NURSS), Justice Uranta, also pledged to mobilise students across the state’s 23 local government areas, tertiary institutions and the diaspora for Tinubu and the coalition’s governorship candidate.
Uranta cited projects undertaken for students’ welfare, including the provision of a permanent NURSS secretariat, as part of the achievements for which the coalition could seek support.
The youth leaders and representatives of various groups at the meeting endorsed Tinubu and other candidates backed by the Rainbow Coalition, pledging to intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
