RismadarVoice Reporters
October 13, 2026
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has defended President Bola Tinubu’s performance in office, accusing opposition politicians of refusing to acknowledge what he described as the administration’s achievements.
Speaking during a media parley in Abuja on Tuesday, Wike argued that political differences should not prevent opposition figures from recognising progress made by an incumbent government.
“Whether anybody likes it or not, Mr President has done well,” the minister declared.
Wike maintained that opposition politics should be based on constructive engagement rather than outright rejection of government policies and programmes.
He said political competition should not become a struggle in which opponents refuse to acknowledge any positive development simply because they belong to different political parties.
“Politics must not be played as a do-or-die affair,” he said.
The former Rivers State governor also defended the Rainbow Coalition, a political arrangement bringing together members of the All Progressives Congress and supporters of Tinubu from other parties ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
According to Wike, the coalition seeks to broaden political support for the President’s re-election while allowing participants to retain their individual party affiliations.
He argued that supporting Tinubu should not automatically be regarded as abandoning opposition politics.
Wike also referred to comments attributed to Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, saying they demonstrated that opposition figures could acknowledge aspects of the administration’s performance despite their political differences.
The minister maintained that political cooperation across party lines was possible where participants shared a common objective.
Speaking about his political activities in the Federal Capital Territory and Rivers State, Wike said he remained committed to mobilising support for Tinubu despite competing political interests in both locations.
He further argued that effective political leadership involved the ability to persuade supporters and build consensus around shared objectives.
Wike said the Rainbow Coalition would continue to accommodate politicians and other stakeholders willing to support Tinubu’s re-election, regardless of their political affiliations.
His remarks come amid continuing political realignments and disagreements over cross-party alliances ahead of the 2027 general elections.
