Wike urges states to adopt FCT, Rivers coalition model

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has urged other states to emulate the Rainbow Coalition model adopted in the FCT and Rivers State, saying it has fostered political cooperation, peace and stability among politicians across party lines.

Wike stated this on Friday during an interactive engagement with political leaders, traditional rulers, women and youths in Kuje Area Council, according to a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication and Social Media to the FCT minister, Lere Olayinka.

The statement added that the initiative had demonstrated that politicians from different parties could work together in the interest of the people instead of allowing partisan differences to fuel hostility, violence and division.

Wike said the experience in the FCT showed that political competition did not have to result in conflict.

“If Nigerian politics can come to this level, we will not be hearing about fighting; we will not be seeing ourselves killing each other,” Wike said.

He explained that the coalition brought together politicians from the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party to pursue common political objectives despite their differences.

According to him, the arrangement was also being implemented in Rivers State, allowing politicians from both parties to participate in the same political structure.

Wike said the model was based on cooperation and collective decision-making, adding that candidates emerging under the arrangement would enjoy the support of stakeholders across party lines.

He cited former FCT Senator Philip Aduda as an example, saying his political support extended beyond the APC to members of the wider coalition.

The minister said the arrangement was intended to promote inclusive representation and ensure that political office holders remained accountable to the people.

Wike also cautioned Kuje residents against repeating what he described as a political mistake in the 2023 elections, urging them to consider accessibility, accountability and performance when choosing their representatives.

He questioned the relationship between the FCT’s current senatorial representation and residents of the territory, alleging that the incumbent had not adequately engaged communities to understand their needs.

The minister contrasted this with Aduda’s relationship with his constituents, arguing that effective representation required elected officials to understand the everyday experiences of the people.

“Aduda knows them. Aduda knows when they have problems. Aduda knows when they are sleeping, and Aduda knows when they are crying. That is the essence of representation,” he said.

Wike urged residents not to entrust their future to politicians he described as “political gamblers”, insisting that electoral decisions should be based on demonstrable records rather than promises.

He called for sustained political cooperation ahead of the 2027 general elections, saying the coalition was designed to unite leaders around shared interests.

On infrastructure, the minister assured residents that the road project linking the Airport Road–Tipper Garage corridor to Gwagwalada would be completed and commissioned by the end of December.

He recalled that traditional rulers in Kuje had identified the road as a priority during an earlier visit, asking the administration to address its poor condition before presenting other demands.

Wike said the first phase of the project had been commissioned, with Vice-President Kashim Shettima representing President Bola Tinubu during activities marking the administration’s third anniversary.

“Let me assure you, to the glory of God, by the end of December, we will also commission the one that leads to Gwagwalada,” he said.

He urged residents to compare the road’s former condition with its current state, describing the project as part of efforts to improve connectivity and living conditions in satellite communities across the FCT.

The minister maintained that political differences should not prevent leaders from working together to address the needs of their constituents.

The Hakimi Agwai of Kuje Area Council, Shuibu Pada, assured Wike of the area’s support, saying residents would reciprocate the administration’s interventions through their votes.

He, however, appealed to the minister to extend road construction to communities in the interior of the area council, including routes connecting Rubochi, Kwali and neighbouring settlements.

Pada said ongoing projects had improved access along major corridors but stressed that communities outside those routes also needed government attention.

Earlier, Senator Jibrin Usman Wowo expressed support for President Tinubu and the APC, saying political stakeholders in Kuje had consulted and agreed to back the party in the forthcoming elections.

He said the consultations involved women, youths, elderly residents and traditional rulers, adding that the community was prepared to demonstrate its appreciation of the administration’s interventions through electoral support.

“Honourable Minister, I want to assure you that we in Kuje Area Council have sat down and agreed that Kuje people are going to vote APC from top to bottom,” Wowo said.

The FCT APC Chairman, Tanko Yamawo, commended the administration’s infrastructure programme and political engagement, saying the coalition had encouraged APC and PDP leaders to work together.

He described the willingness of political stakeholders from both parties to sit at the same table as a significant development in Kuje’s political environment.

Yamawo also said improved roads had reduced travel difficulties between Kuje and neighbouring communities, expressing confidence in the continuation of the coalition.

The FCT Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ismael Dogora, said the coalition had helped create a more peaceful political environment during campaigns.

He said, “Like the chairman said in his speech, this is the first time we are campaigning in FCT and no smashing of cars is recorded anywhere because there is unity in FCT, courtesy the Honorable Minister, Federal Capital Territory.”

Dogora added that residents were prepared to reciprocate the administration’s interventions, saying the provision of amenities had addressed some of the issues that previously prompted protests.

In her remarks, the Kuje Women Leader, Aishatu Yakubu, commended the administration for recognising women’s contributions to political mobilisation but called for greater inclusion of women in governance and decision-making.

She also appealed for additional road projects to address the needs of communities across the area council.

In his welcome address, the Kuje Chairman, Samuel Shekwolo, commended Wike for what he described as his efforts to unite indigenous and non-indigenous communities in the FCT.

Shekwolo recalled that a lack of development had previously left some young people in the area believing that Kuje was known mainly for its prison.

He said the minister’s interventions had changed that perception, adding that the area’s political landscape had shifted to the point where members of opposition parties and the ruling coalition now worked together.

Shekwolo said the marching order had been given and urged residents to vote on January 16, 2027, for the President, Senator Philip Aduda and Dablandi Chiya, saying the community had reasons to honour its commitments.