The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has urged governors supporting President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid to adopt his Rainbow Coalition model, which he said has promoted political cooperation, peace and stability in the FCT and Rivers State.
Wike made the call on Friday during an interactive engagement with political leaders, traditional rulers, women and youths in Kuje Area Council of the FCT.
The minister said the coalition had demonstrated that politicians from different political parties could work together to achieve common objectives rather than allow partisan differences to fuel hostility, violence and division.
“If Nigerian politics can come to this level, we will not be hearing about fighting; we will not be seeing ourselves killing one another,” he said.
The Rainbow Coalition brings together members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), among other political stakeholders, to pursue shared political interests despite their party affiliations.
Wike said the arrangement was also being implemented in Rivers State, adding that candidates emerging through the coalition would receive support from stakeholders across party lines.
He cited former FCT Senator Philip Aduda as an example of a politician whose support, according to him, extended beyond the APC to the broader coalition.
The minister said the model was intended to promote inclusive representation and ensure that elected officials remained accountable to the people.
He urged residents of Kuje to avoid repeating what he described as a political mistake in the 2023 elections, advising them to consider accessibility, accountability and performance when choosing their representatives.
Wike also questioned the relationship between the FCT’s current senator, Ireti Kingibe, and residents of the territory, alleging that she had not sufficiently engaged with communities to understand their challenges.
He contrasted Kingibe’s representation with that of Aduda, arguing that effective representation required elected officials to remain connected to the daily experiences of their constituents.
“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,” Wike said.
He cautioned residents against entrusting their future to politicians he described as “political gamblers”, urging them to assess candidates based on their records rather than campaign promises.
Wike also called for greater political cooperation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
On infrastructure, the minister assured residents that the road connecting 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, urging the FCT administration to address its poor condition before considering other demands.
According to Wike, the first phase of the project had already been commissioned, with Vice-President Kashim Shettima representing President Tinubu during activities marking the administration’s third anniversary.
He urged residents to compare the road’s previous condition with its current state, describing the project as part of efforts to improve connectivity and living conditions in the FCT’s satellite communities.
Responding, the Hakimi Agwai of Kuje Area Council, Shuaibu Pada, pledged the support of the people of Kuje, saying they would reciprocate the minister’s efforts through their votes.
Pada, however, appealed for road construction to be extended to interior communities, including routes connecting Rubochi, Kwali and neighbouring settlements.
The FCT APC Chairman, Tanko Yamawo, commended the administration’s infrastructure programme and political engagement, describing the willingness of APC and PDP stakeholders to work together as a significant development in Kuje’s political environment.
He added that improved roads had reduced transportation difficulties between Kuje and neighbouring communities.
Similarly, the FCT PDP Chairman, Ismael Dogara, credited the political cooperation fostered by Wike with promoting a peaceful campaign environment.
Dogara claimed that the current campaign period was the first in which no cases of vehicles being smashed had been recorded across the FCT.
He also said residents who previously took to the streets to demand basic amenities from the Federal Government no longer needed to protest, adding that the people were prepared to reciprocate Wike’s efforts.
The Kuje Council Chairman, Samuel Shekwolo, described Wike as a responsible and generous leader who had promoted unity between indigenous and non-indigenous residents.
Shekwolo said the minister’s interventions had helped change perceptions among young people who previously viewed Kuje as an underdeveloped community known mainly for its prison facility.
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