The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has defended President Bola Tinubu’s performance, insisting that political differences should not stop Nigerians from acknowledging the administration’s achievements.
Wike spoke during a media parley in Abuja on Tuesday, where he accused opposition politicians of portraying the Tinubu administration as having achieved nothing.
“Whether anybody likes it or not, Mr President has done well,” he said.
The minister maintained that politics should not be treated as a do-or-die affair, arguing that opposition parties should not reject every action of an incumbent government simply because they belong to different political camps.
He said the emerging coalition supporting Tinubu’s re-election was partly driven by the need to counter what he described as unfair criticism of the President’s performance.
Wike cited remarks attributed to Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed as an example of an opposition figure acknowledging aspects of Tinubu’s administration. He added that supporting the President did not necessarily amount to betraying opposition politics.
The FCT minister also defended the Rainbow Coalition, a political platform bringing together members of the All Progressives Congress and supporters of Tinubu from other parties. According to him, the initiative is intended to mobilise broader support for the President ahead of the 2027 general election, rather than eliminate political differences.
Wike said he had been coordinating support for Tinubu in the FCT and Rivers State despite the competing political interests in both areas. He argued that a political leader’s influence could be measured by the ability to persuade supporters to embrace a particular course of action.
He added that the coalition would remain open to individuals willing to support Tinubu’s re-election, regardless of their party affiliations.
In a separate comment shared by Channels Television on X, Wike dismissed suggestions that a proposed political ticket involving former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi was gaining significant support in northern Nigeria.
Asked about claims that the reported ticket was gaining ground in the North, Wike referred to Amaechi’s town hall meeting in Cross River State.
“I watched Amaechi; he had a town hall meeting in Cross River. I counted the number; they were not up to 200 people,” he said.
Wike’s comments come as political parties and influential figures begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 general election.
The minister maintained that Nigerians should assess Tinubu’s administration based on its record rather than partisan arguments.
