.Stakeholders endorse President’s reforms, pledge massive grassroots mobilisation across Abuja
Favour Ishember, Abuja
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has declared that the nation’s capital is firmly in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, following an unprecedented political alliance involving stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking on Wednesday during an interactive session with political leaders, traditional rulers, women groups and youth organisations from the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Wike described the gathering as one of the happiest moments of his political career, saying it signified the end of partisan rivalry in the interest of the FCT’s development.
According to the minister, who also serves as Coordinator of the APC Presidential Campaign Council in the FCT and Rivers State, previous administrations failed to achieve the structural integration of the territory, but President Tinubu’s administration has delivered unprecedented progress through bold and courageous leadership.
Highlighting the achievements of the current administration, Wike pointed to major infrastructure projects, including the completion of the Apo-Karshi Road, which had remained abandoned for 16 years, as evidence of the government’s commitment to transforming the nation’s capital.
He also praised the administration for promoting inclusiveness through the appointment of career civil servants as Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Service, as well as establishing the pioneer Women Secretariat and Youth Secretariat to address the needs of women and young people.
Defending the removal of fuel subsidy, Wike described the policy as a difficult but necessary decision that previous leaders acknowledged but lacked the courage to implement.
He maintained that although the policy had brought temporary hardship, it was essential for the country’s long-term economic recovery, noting that every past president recognised the subsidy as a scam but failed to abolish it.
The minister added that increased statutory allocations to states have reduced governors’ dependence on commercial bank loans, allowing them to embark on more visible infrastructure projects across their respective states.
Urging residents to reject what he described as empty political alternatives, Wike appealed particularly to young voters to remain committed to tested leadership ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He announced that the comprehensive campaign council would be inaugurated next week, assuring party supporters that all logistics required to secure a landslide victory for President Tinubu and APC candidates had already been put in place.
Calling on eligible voters to participate actively in the election, Wike urged them to obtain and use their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to ensure victory for the President and other progressive candidates.
Meanwhile, leaders from different political parties publicly pledged their support for Wike’s development agenda, declaring that political differences would no longer stand in the way of the FCT’s progress.
The cross-party engagement marked a significant shift in Abuja’s political landscape, with leaders from the APC and PDP agreeing to work together in support of President Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council, Mr Christopher Maikalangu, expressed confidence in the coalition’s mobilisation strategy, identifying traditional rulers, indigenous communities and non-indigenes as critical partners in the campaign.
FCT APC Chairman, Mr Ishaku Yamawo, commended Wike for transforming both the physical outlook of Abuja and its political environment, saying the minister had redefined politics in the territory.
Recalling previous political divisions, Yamawo said elections once created hostility even among relatives and close associates, but noted that politicians from different parties could now work together for development and electoral success.
He also praised President Tinubu for addressing long-standing grievances of FCT indigenes through the appointment of a native son as minister, road infrastructure, compensation for affected communities and the integration of settlements such as Gishiri and Guzape.
On his part, FCT PDP Chairman, Mr Mohammed Dogara, declared that the era of political hostility in the nation’s capital had ended.
Dogara said political parties that once behaved like “cats and rats” were now united because Wike had demonstrated that development must take precedence over partisan interests.
He disclosed that the PDP structure across the FCT would mobilise support for President Tinubu ahead of the January 16, 2027 election and urged traditional rulers and community leaders to rally their people behind the administration’s development agenda.
Adding a royal endorsement, the District Head of Jikoyi, Mr Nicodemus Marchi, likened Wike’s appointment as FCT Minister to a refreshing breeze that restored stability, accelerated development and improved security across the territory.
Marchi applauded the minister for reviving abandoned road projects and upgrading several traditional rulers from second-class to first-class status after nearly three decades of neglect.
Representing the youths, Chairman of the FCT Gbagyi Youth Forum, AMAC Chapter, Mr Musa Jeji, declared that organised youth associations across all council wards were fully prepared to deliver the FCT for President Tinubu in 2027.
Similarly, former APC Women Leader in the FCT, Mrs Hilmary Aipoh, commended Wike for empowering women through the establishment of the Women Affairs Secretariat and the construction of rural access roads that have improved farming activities.
Describing AMAC’s 4,400 polling units as the major political battleground in the FCT, Aipoh appealed to the minister to ensure women are fully integrated into the campaign structure ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
For a better society
_______________________________
Follow us across our platforms:
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/championnewsonline/
Facebook – https://web.facebook.com/championnewsonline
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/champion-newspapers-limited/
https://x.com/championnewsng/
You can also like and comment on our YouTube videos.
https://youtu.be/QIBfD1tT80w?si=R4Qf3so2LxYu3GC2
