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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonoye and Fred Ezeh Abuja
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has challenged political leaders in Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State to deliver at least 70 per cent of votes cast for President Bola Tinubu in the January 16, 2027 presidential election, insisting that the establishment of a federal university in Ogoni land and the appointment of indigenes to strategic government positions deserve electoral appreciation.
Wike’s demand came as Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, expressed confidence in Tinubu’s re-election bid, arguing that the administration’s investments in education, student financing, vocational training and human capital development had provided sufficient grounds for Nigerians to renew the President’s mandate.
The two ministers, speaking at separate engagements on Wednesday, made a common case for Tinubu’s re-election on the strength of projects, appointments and government programmes, although Wike placed particular emphasis on securing a measurable electoral return from beneficiaries of federal interventions, while Alausa highlighted the administration’s education reforms and their expected long-term benefits.
Speaking at a Rainbow Coalition town hall meeting at Gbenegininwa Hall, Saakpenwa, Tai Local Government Area, Wike described the establishment of the Federal University of Environment and Technology as a major achievement capable of transforming the economic and educational fortunes of Ogoni communities.
He urged residents to consider the institution and the appointment of Ogoni sons and daughters to federal positions when deciding whom to support in the forthcoming elections, maintaining that such interventions should not be taken for granted.
According to him, the university would create employment opportunities, stimulate commercial activities and attract investments in accommodation, transportation, trading and other services as its academic programmes and operations expand.
Wike credited the late Senator Barry Mpigi, who died in March 2026, with playing a significant role in securing federal approval for the institution, explaining that establishing a federal university required considerable legislative and executive efforts.
“If you don’t know what it is, even me as a minister, it would be difficult to go through the National Assembly. The National Assembly will pass it, it will now go to the President. Sometimes, the bill will stay there for years,” he said.
The minister cautioned that the economic benefits of the university might not be immediately apparent, urging residents to consider the opportunities the institution would create in the coming years.
“You don’t know what you have because the university just started. By the time this university stays four years, five years, then you will know the development,” he said.
Turning to the forthcoming elections, Wike challenged political stakeholders in Tai to deliver at least 70 per cent of votes cast for Tinubu and other candidates supported by his Rainbow Coalition, clarifying that the target referred to actual votes cast rather than the total number of registered voters.
He recalled that Tai had traditionally been among the first local government areas to deliver election results in the Rivers South-East Senatorial District and urged political leaders to sustain that record.
The FCT minister also indicated that the area could receive additional support if it achieved the electoral target, describing the proposed incentive as part of efforts to strengthen grassroots mobilisation and the coalition’s organisation.
Wike used the occasion to reconcile political associates who had fallen out with the Rainbow Coalition, insisting that their disagreements had not resulted in defections to other political parties.
“Let me first of all welcome my brothers. They didn’t go anywhere. There was no fight, they didn’t go to any other party, the same party, but there was a small fight and so we’ve all come back together to work as a team,” he said.
He urged the coalition’s leadership to reintegrate returning members and ensure that past disagreements did not undermine the group’s electoral objectives.
The minister also challenged politicians seeking public support to present their records in office, maintaining that residents should judge them by their contributions to the development of Tai, Ogoni and Rivers State rather than campaign promises alone.
Earlier, Tai Local Government Chairman and Rainbow Coalition Coordinator, Mbakpone Okpe, disclosed plans to develop an estate to provide accommodation for students, parents and visitors to the new university.
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Okpe said the necessary processes had been concluded and developers were expected to sign an agreement ahead of the commencement of the project.
He disclosed that the council had constructed the university’s entrance gate and an approximately one-kilometre dual carriageway within the institution’s premises to complement the Federal Government’s investment.
The chairman also announced that 4,568 Permanent Voter Cards had been collected in Tai during the first-quarter distribution exercise, adding that the coalition was working to consolidate support across the local government’s 10 wards.
Okpe said the council had set aside ₦100 million in an account in preparation for the proposed incentive scheme.
He further disclosed that the council spent approximately ₦120 million monthly on an empowerment programme benefiting at least 3,400 people, promising continued investment in infrastructure and community development.
Meanwhile, in Abuja, Alausa said Tinubu’s achievements in education and skills development would be important factors in the President’s re-election bid, citing the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), the expansion of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and investments in skills acquisition as evidence of the administration’s commitment to improving opportunities for young Nigerians.
A statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Ikharo Attah, said the minister spoke during a visit to the City Boy Movement’s office, where he commended Seyi Tinubu and members of the group for their grassroots mobilisation ahead of the elections.
Alausa argued that the administration’s interventions in education demonstrated the President’s determination to expand access to learning, improve employability and prepare young Nigerians for participation in the modern economy.
“President Tinubu makes promises he intends to fulfil. His decisions are not just about today; they are about the future of our children and grandchildren,” the minister said.
He described education as a central pillar of the administration’s development agenda, maintaining that the government was determined to remove financial barriers preventing students from disadvantaged backgrounds from accessing higher education.
According to him, NELFUND was established to ensure that qualified Nigerians were not denied educational opportunities simply because their families could not afford tuition and other associated costs.
The minister disclosed that more than 250,000 Nigerians were benefiting from skills development programmes across approximately 1,200 training centres nationwide, covering solar photovoltaic installation, fashion and garment production, carpentry, construction-related trades, animal husbandry and other technical fields.
He explained that the TVET initiative was designed to bridge the gap between education and the labour market, stressing that academic certificates alone were insufficient without practical competencies required by employers and businesses.
Alausa maintained that developing a skilled workforce was essential to Nigeria’s economic transformation, particularly as the country sought to expand opportunities in industry, business-process outsourcing and the service economy.
He also highlighted efforts to address infrastructure and accommodation challenges in tertiary institutions, as well as initiatives to expand nursing education and professional training.
The minister said the administration’s economic reforms were intended to address longstanding structural challenges and create greater fiscal capacity for investment in education, healthcare, infrastructure and other essential services.
On the political front, Alausa praised Seyi Tinubu and the City Boy Movement for engaging Nigerians across age groups, ethnic backgrounds and social classes, urging members to sustain community outreach and communicate government policies and programmes effectively.
He also urged the group to counter what he described as misinformation about the administration’s performance, while cautioning against divisive rhetoric in the build-up to the elections.
Alausa maintained that Nigerians should assess the President’s record on the basis of government policies, programmes and their long-term implications, expressing confidence that investments in education, student welfare and human capital development would strengthen Tinubu’s re-election campaign.
