Wike Fires Back At Rainbow Coalition Opponents, Says They Cannot Unite Their Families

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has criticised politicians opposed to the Rainbow Coalition, declaring that those questioning the alliance lack the capacity to foster unity even within their families and communities.

Wike said the coalition, which comprises political stakeholders from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was designed to promote political understanding, peace and development in the FCT.

He spoke on Monday at the commissioning of the Gwagwalada Civil Centre, followed by an interactive meeting with APC and PDP stakeholders in Gwagwalada Area Council, Abuja.

The minister praised political leaders in the area for choosing cooperation over political differences, describing their decision to work together as a demonstration that the interests of the people should take precedence over personal ambitions.

Taking a swipe at opponents of the arrangement, Wike accused some politicians of promoting division because they could not accommodate differing interests or build consensus within their immediate constituencies.

“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 those questioning the existence of the coalition to explain why politicians from different parties should not be allowed to put aside their disagreements and work together for the common good.

He maintained that the political understanding in Gwagwalada represented a positive shift from divisive politics, arguing that development could only thrive where political leaders embraced dialogue and cooperation.

The minister also called on FCT residents to learn from the 2023 general elections and make better choices in 2027, particularly in selecting representatives for the National Assembly.

He said the territory needed lawmakers who were familiar with the challenges confronting its six area councils and capable of effectively presenting the concerns of residents to the Federal Government.

Wike questioned the quality of representation at the National Assembly, asking whether the senator representing the FCT adequately understood the needs of residents in Gwagwalada, Kuje, Bwari, Kwali, Abaji and the Abuja Municipal Area Council.

He consequently urged residents to support former Senator Philip Aduda and other candidates adopted by the coalition, stressing that effective representation required accessibility, grassroots connections and a clear understanding of constituents’ needs.

On the 2027 elections, the minister reiterated his commitment to President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, charging supporters to move beyond political declarations and demonstrate their commitment through active grassroots mobilisation.

“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, Hon. Ishaku Tanko Yamawo, described the meeting as a significant political development, attributing the growing cooperation among stakeholders to Wike’s intervention.

He observed that political leaders who previously maintained separate political identities and rarely related as brothers were now sitting together and agreeing to pursue common objectives under the Rainbow Coalition.

Yamawo also applauded the minister for helping to reduce political tension in Gwagwalada, saying political activities had become more peaceful, without the destruction of vehicles and other violent incidents that previously characterised campaigns.

The FCT PDP Chairman, Hon. Ismaila Mohammed Dogara, also commended Wike for his development initiatives, particularly the resuscitation of the Gwagwalada Civil Centre, which he said had remained abandoned for 16 years.

Dogara said the decision of politicians across party lines to work together reflected the minister’s determination to promote political harmony and collective development in the territory.

Similarly, the Aguma of Gwagwalada, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Muhammadu Magaji, praised Wike for his contributions to the development of the FCT, describing the completion of the abandoned Civil Centre as evidence of the value of continuity in governance.

In his welcome address, the Gwagwalada Area Council Chairman, Hon. Kassim Mohammed, outlined road projects undertaken by his administration in Gwagwalada metropolis, Tungan Wada, Abum-pe and other communities.

He thanked the minister for approving the establishment of a one-inch chip facility in the area but appealed for urgent intervention on the road linking the Army checkpoint to the Specialist Hospital.

A former chairman of the area council, Hon. Zakari Angulu Dobi, recalled that the Civil Centre was almost 80 per cent completed when he left office but was vandalised during the 16 years it remained abandoned, reducing its completion level to approximately 40 per cent.

He praised the incumbent chairman for reviving and completing the facility, describing it as a landmark achievement that should be celebrated by all residents, irrespective of political affiliation.

Also speaking, Hon. Adamu Mustapha Danze called on FCT residents to reciprocate the attention given to the territory by President Tinubu and Wike through their support at the 2027 elections.

The Gwagwalada Area Council Women Leader, Hajia Hajara Abdullahi, assured the minister of women’s commitment to supporting Tinubu, Aduda and other APC candidates. She, however, appealed for the establishment of a cottage hospital to improve access to healthcare services in the area.

The Gwagwalada Youth Leader and Special Assistant to the council chairman, Inuwa Guzo, equally pledged the support of youths across the APC and PDP blocs for the Rainbow Coalition.

He appealed to the FCT administration to rehabilitate the Gwagwalada football stadium, lamenting that the facility had been abandoned for more than 25 years.