The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Friday called for unity of purpose among political leaders and stakeholders in Rivers State, as he continued his “thank-you” tour of local government areas with a noticeably softer tone.
Wike made the call during a visit to Andoni Local Government Area, where he urged political actors to embrace cooperation and cohesion as the pathway to growth and development in the state.
His Andoni outing came against the backdrop of the recent backlash that followed his face-off with the national secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Basiru, and the rising political tension surrounding impeachment moves against Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Unlike earlier stops on the tour where he repeatedly described the emergence of Fubara as governor as a “mistake” he intended to “correct” ahead of 2027, Wike in Andoni placed greater emphasis on unity and collective political purpose, while rallying support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Addressing supporters, traditional rulers and political stakeholders, the former Rivers governor said unity had already delivered progress to Andoni and urged leaders at both local and state levels to sustain that spirit for the benefit of the people.
He assured the community that more development would come their way if political harmony was preserved.
Wike disclosed that politicians across party lines in Rivers State were aligning under what he described as a “Rainbow Coalition” operating within the Renewed Hope platform, with the goal of ensuring Tinubu’s return for a second term in 2027.
We don’t have party allegiance in Rivers. What we have is a Rainbow Coalition under the Renewed Hope Family in pursuit of a common course and interest,” Wike said.
“You supported Tinubu in 2023 and today we are seeing the results. Do the same in 2027.”
While he made a brief reference to local political disputes, the minister avoided the confrontational language that had characterised some of his earlier engagements.
“For our local politics, at the appropriate time we will take a decision to correct the mistake we made in 2023,” he added, without elaborating.
The member representing Andoni Constituency in the Rivers State House of Assembly, Ofiks Kagbang, praised Wike’s political influence and record of projects, assuring him of the area’s continued loyalty ahead of 2027.
“I am an Ijaw son and I want to let you know that Ijaw people are grateful people. The one in the Government House is a mistake and we will correct that mistake when the time comes,” Kagbang said.
Also speaking, Chairman of Andoni Local Government Area, Mr Prince Otuo, said Wike had succeeded in uniting political leaders in the area around the Tinubu re-election project.
Otuo thanked the former governor for what he described as sustained support for Andoni, citing employment opportunities and development projects executed in the area during Wike’s tenure as governor.
Political observers noted that Wike’s Andoni visit reflected a subtle recalibration of tone, coming at a time when the Rivers political crisis is increasingly drawing institutional attention beyond the state.
