Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has reaffirmed his commitment to supporting the political movement in Rivers State while saying his renewed involvement is driven by a desire to help the people rather than pursue personal benefits.
Wike spoke on Friday while addressing stakeholders in Akpor Kingdom, Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, where he called for broader political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The former Rivers State governor said his political alignment with President Bola Tinubu remains firm and urged stakeholders in the state to build a stronger structure capable of delivering electoral support for the President.
He said his return to active political engagement in Rivers was focused on building a movement that would advance the interests of the people.
“My interest in Rivers State is for God to use me as a vessel to help our people. I am back here not for what I will get, but for what I will be to raise my people,” Wike said.
He also urged politicians to put collective interests ahead of political disagreements, saying differences should not prevent people from working together.
“There is no permanent enemy in politics. What we have is permanent collective interest,” he said.
Wike, who has repeatedly backed Tinubu’s 2027 presidential bid, again pledged to resign as FCT minister if the President fails to win both Rivers State and the Federal Capital Territory in the election.
He said the strength of any political campaign would depend largely on the number of people involved, urging Rivers politicians and community leaders to expand their mobilisation efforts.
“The more you are in number, the happier you become,” Wike said.
The FCT minister also defended his willingness to work with people who were previously on opposing sides of the political divide, urging stakeholders in Obio-Akpor to focus on the coming election rather than past disagreements.
He called for an inclusive mobilisation structure involving politicians, traditional rulers, religious leaders and other community figures.
“Obio-Akpor as a whole, whether you are a politician, whether you are a traditional ruler, whether you are a pastor, or whether you are a native doctor, I need everybody now,” he said.
“Because all of them will vote. For the purpose of voting and elections, we must bring everyone together.”
Wike also reflected on his time as chairman of Obio-Akpor, saying his successful re-election was based on the impact residents felt from his administration and his relationship with the people.
“I was not elected two times because I was just chairman. I was elected because people felt the impact of governance and because I related with the people,” he said.
He identified Wards 15, 16 and 17 as particularly important to the mobilisation exercise, noting that the three wards together have more than 200 polling units.
“We have over 200 units across three very important wards—Ward 15, Ward 16, and Ward 17. These three wards can defeat ten wards in Obio-Akpor. They are three wards with a difference, and you must utilise them to make that difference,” Wike said.
He subsequently instructed local political leaders to deploy coordinators and door-to-door campaigners across the polling units to engage families, neighbours and other residents.
Wike also promised to continue monitoring political developments in Rivers State, describing himself as the state’s “Chief Critic” who would ensure elected council officials remained accountable to the people.
The FCT minister was accompanied by Rivers State APC governorship candidate Kingsley Chinda and other political leaders during the engagement.
