Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has called on residents to support candidates endorsed by the rainbow coalition, arguing that political parties are merely vehicles for attaining power and should not take precedence over good governance.
Gatekeepers News reports that Wike made the call on Thursday during a meeting organised by the rainbow coalition in Bwari Area Council, Abuja, where he endorsed Philip Aduda, an All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for the 2027 elections, alongside other candidates under the political arrangement.
The minister, who convenes the rainbow coalition, a cross-party alliance backing President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, said the focus should be on delivering development and serving the interests of the people rather than party affiliation.
“It doesn’t matter the party. After all, a party is a vehicle that conveys you to where you are going. When you get there, you come down from the vehicle, and you now work for the interest of the people,” Wike said.
He urged FCT residents to assess their elected representatives based on their accessibility, performance and commitment to addressing the needs of communities across the territory.
Wike also criticised Ireti Kingibe, the senator representing the FCT, questioning the impact of her representation on residents.
“Today, the people of FCT, do you feel the impact? Do you feel the presence of the senator representing FCT today?” he asked.
The minister said Aduda, a former senator, was familiar with the concerns of FCT residents and urged them to support his candidacy in the 2027 elections.
Wike’s mobilisation effort comes amid concerns within the APC over political alliances and arrangements ahead of the next general election.
In September, the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) said it would not endorse any alliance or political arrangement capable of undermining Tinubu’s re-election bid or the party’s candidates in the 2027 elections.
The forum said it would reject any arrangement that could “create confusion, divided loyalty or competing interests” within the APC.
Meanwhile, some APC governors have indicated that they do not oppose Wike’s rainbow coalition, while maintaining that the party would win all elective positions in their respective states.
