2027: Critics Of Rainbow Coalition Incapable Of Uniting Their Own Families – Wike

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has criticised politicians questioning the existence of the Rainbow Coalition, saying they lack the capacity to unite even their own families and communities.

Wike made the remarks on Monday in Abuja during the commissioning of the Gwagwalada Civic Centre and an interactive session with stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gwagwalada Area Council.

The minister described the Rainbow Coalition, which comprises political stakeholders from both parties, as an alliance established to promote unity, cooperation and development in the FCT.

“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 said.

Wike challenged critics of the alliance to explain why political leaders who previously belonged to opposing camps could not put aside their differences to pursue common interests.

He described the political development in Gwagwalada as a departure from confrontation, insisting that the FCT required cooperation among political actors rather than unnecessary political hostilities.

Commending political leaders in the area for setting aside their differences, Wike said their decision demonstrated that the collective interest of the people should take precedence over individual political ambitions.

The minister also urged residents not to repeat what he described as the mistakes of the 2023 general elections, calling on them to elect credible representatives to the National Assembly.

He canvassed support for former senator Philip Aduda and other candidates endorsed by the coalition, stressing that elected representatives must remain accessible and maintain close relationships with their constituents.

Wike also declared support for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu in 2027, urging residents 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.

Earlier, the FCT APC Chairman, Ishaku Tanko Yamawo, described the gathering as historic, saying Wike’s intervention had brought together political leaders who previously operated on opposing sides.

The FCT PDP Chairman, Alhaji Ismaila Mohammed Dogara, also commended the minister for his development interventions, particularly the revival of a project in Gwagwalada that had reportedly been abandoned for 16 years.

The Aguma of Gwagwalada, Alhaji Muhammadu Magaji, praised Wike’s contributions to the development of the territory, saying the revival of the abandoned project underscored the importance of continuity in governance.

A former Chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council, Zakari Angulu Dobi, recalled that the Civic Centre was nearly 80 per cent completed when he left office but suffered vandalism during its 16 years of abandonment, reducing its completion level to about 40 per cent.

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 a new facility for Gwagwalada but appealed for the minister’s intervention on the road linking the Army checkpoint to the Specialist Hospital.