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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has taken a swipe at politicians opposing the Rainbow Coalition, saying they lack the capacity to unite even their families and communities.
Wike said the opposition to the political alliance, which brings together stakeholders from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was driven by politicians who did not understand the value of cooperation and collective interest.
The minister spoke on Monday during the commissioning of the Gwagwalada Civil Centre and an interactive session with APC and PDP stakeholders in Gwagwalada Area Council, Abuja.
Taking a swipe at critics of the coalition, Wike said: “Some greedy and selfish politicians do not understand what we call unity. They have no capacity to hold their space; they have no capacity to even hold their families, and they have no capacity to hold their communities. So they can open their mouths and say there is no Rainbow Coalition.”
He challenged those opposed to the alliance to explain why political leaders who previously belonged to opposing parties could not set aside their differences to pursue common interests.
Wike commended political stakeholders in Gwagwalada for embracing the coalition, describing their decision to work together as evidence that the collective interest of residents should take precedence over individual political ambitions.
He said the FCT needed cooperation among political leaders rather than unnecessary confrontation, adding that the emerging alliance offered an opportunity to change the pattern of political engagement in the territory.
The minister also urged FCT residents not to repeat what he described as the mistake of the 2023 general elections, particularly in their choice of representatives at the National Assembly.
He questioned whether the senator representing the FCT adequately understood the challenges confronting residents across the six area councils of Gwagwalada, Kuje, Bwari, Kwali, Abaji and the Abuja Municipal Area Council.
Wike specifically canvassed support for a former senator, Philip Aduda, and other candidates endorsed by the coalition, arguing that elected representatives must understand the needs of their constituents and remain accessible to them.
On the 2027 general elections, the minister declared support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election and urged coalition members to begin grassroots mobilisation to translate their political endorsements into votes.
“On the day of the election, it will not be a day for market or fishing. It is the day all of us have decided to come together and demonstrate our strength through our votes. Go to the polling units, districts and communities and mobilise the people to vote for Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
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Earlier, the FCT APC Chairman, Ishaku Tanko Yamawo, described the gathering as historic, saying Wike’s political intervention had brought together leaders who previously operated on opposing sides.
He said politicians who once did not regard themselves as brothers because of their party affiliations were now sitting together and agreeing to work under one political platform in Gwagwalada.
Yamawo also credited the minister with reducing political tension in the area, noting that political campaigns had become more peaceful, without the destruction of vehicles and other violent incidents previously associated with political activities.
Similarly, the FCT PDP Chairman, Ismaila Mohammed Dogara, commended Wike for his development interventions, particularly the revival of the Gwagwalada Civil Centre project, which he said had been abandoned for 16 years.
Dogara said the coming together of political leaders across party lines reflected the minister’s efforts to foster cooperation among stakeholders in the territory.
The Aguma of Gwagwalada, Alhaji Muhammadu Magaji, also praised Wike for his contributions to the development of the FCT, describing the revival of the abandoned project as an example of the importance of continuity in governance.
In his welcome address, the Chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council, Kassim Mohammed, listed road projects executed by his administration in Gwagwalada metropolis, Tungan Wada, Abum-pe and other communities.
He thanked Wike for approving the establishment of a one-inch chip facility in Gwagwalada but appealed for the minister’s intervention on the road linking the Army checkpoint to the Specialist Hospital.
A former chairman of the area council, Zakari Angulu Dobi, recalled that the Civil Centre was nearly 80 per cent completed when he left office but suffered vandalism during the 16 years it remained abandoned, reducing its completion level to about 40 per cent.
He commended the incumbent chairman for completing the facility, describing the development as a victory for Gwagwalada residents irrespective of their political affiliations.
Also speaking, Adamu Mustapha Danze urged FCT residents to reciprocate the attention given to the territory by Tinubu and Wike through their votes in 2027.
The Gwagwalada Area Council Women Leader, Hajara Abdullahi, pledged women’s support for Tinubu, Aduda and other candidates endorsed by the coalition, while appealing for the establishment of a cottage hospital to complement existing healthcare facilities.
The Gwagwalada Youth Leader and Special Assistant to the council chairman, Inuwa Guzo, also pledged the support of youths across the APC and PDP blocs for the Rainbow Coalition.
He, however, appealed for the rehabilitation of the Gwagwalada football stadium, which he said had been abandoned for more than 25 years.
