Follow Us on Google
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has urged supporters of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to close ranks with his political camp and mobilise massive votes for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, promising that a strong showing by the state could attract more federal appointments and infrastructure projects.
Wike made the appeal on Monday in Port Harcourt during a meeting with supporters of Fubara and youth leaders aligned with the governor, as efforts to reconcile rival political camps in the state gathered momentum ahead of the elections.
The minister said Rivers stood to benefit from greater representation in the Federal Government if it emerged among the three states delivering the highest number of votes for Tinubu.
“All I want to hear in this state is Tinubu and nothing but Tinubu. If we play the role we are playing now, and we are one of the first three states that get the highest number of votes, we will get more of the appointments.”
Wike cited federal appointments already given to Rivers indigenes and infrastructure projects, including the Bonny road, as evidence of the Tinubu administration’s commitment to the state.
He urged aggrieved political stakeholders to put their differences behind them, stressing that reconciliation was necessary to strengthen the state’s position in national politics.
Other News
“We are talking for survival and growth,” he said, urging grassroots youth leaders to return to their respective local government areas and begin preparations for the forthcoming campaigns.
“I am not going to be governor again; this is for your own interest. I want this state to grow. I want this state to play an important role in the politics of Nigeria,” he added.
Earlier, former Port Harcourt Mayor, Ezebunwo Ichemati, who spoke on behalf of Fubara’s supporters, pledged their loyalty to Wike and the Rainbow Coalition, including its plan to mobilise support for Tinubu’s re-election.
Ichemati claimed that Fubara was aware of and supported the meeting, describing the engagement as a significant step towards resolving the political differences between the governor’s camp and Wike’s supporters.
He said grassroots youth leaders who had previously been divided by the political crisis would henceforth work together to strengthen the coalition ahead of the 2027 elections.
“What you see here today will transform into a force that will deliver,” he said.
Ichemati also declared support for Kingsley Chinda as the coalition’s preferred governorship candidate in Rivers State.
