The minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has declared that securing President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 has become a constant focus of his thoughts.
Wike made this known on Monday while speaking during town hall meetings with the Rumueme and Apara kingdoms in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The former Rivers governor said he was committed to ensuring Tinubu wins a second term, expressing confidence that the president would have a smoother path to victory in 2027 than he did in the 2023 presidential election.
“Each day I sleep, I am thinking about the president’s re-election. When I am eating, I think about the president’s re-election. Everything I am doing now is about the president’s re-election,” Wike said.
He urged the people of Rivers State to set aside political sentiments and support Tinubu, arguing that the president had recognised the state through appointments and what he described as dividends of democracy.
“Let us forget sentiment and vote for the person who has recognised the people of Rivers state with dividends of democracy and with several appointments,” he said.
Wike added, “I know the re-election of Tinubu in 2027 will be easier than that of 2023. We should appreciate Tinubu and ensure he gets a massive number of votes. We can do it.”
The FCT minister also highlighted what he described as Tinubu’s developments in Rivers State and appointments of Rivers indigenes into key positions in his administration.
He, however, attacked some opposition politicians seeking to challenge Tinubu in the 2027 election, particularly the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, and his running mate, Rotimi Amaechi.
Wike accused the duo of deceiving Nigerians and argued that they lacked the credibility to defeat Tinubu in the election.
He also predicted that the ADC would not secure the mandatory 25 per cent of votes required in Rivers State.
Turning to the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Wike described its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and other opposition candidates as “unelectable politicians.”
The minister further urged his supporters and political allies in Rivers State to remain focused and avoid distractions arising from internal disputes and communal disagreements.
Meanwhile, the NDC governorship candidate in Rivers State, Dumo Lulu-Briggs, has pledged to donate his salary and allowances to widows across the state if elected governor in 2027.
Lulu-Briggs made the pledge during a media chat in Buguma, his country home in Asari-Toru Local Government Area, where he unveiled his governance blueprint, titled ‘Reset Rivers State.’
The candidate promised to run an administration anchored on transparency, accountability and selflessness, while creating opportunities for young people to pursue their ambitions.
Lulu-Briggs said his decision to relinquish his salary was inspired by Obi, whom he described as his principal.
“When we have the opportunity to manage government resources, I can promise Rivers people that their every penny will be accounted for.
“I’m sure I’m going to be like my principal, campaigning for President, Peter Obi. I will not even be asking for any salary. Every month, any salary will go into assisting one widow or the other,” he said.
He said his financial independence would allow him to serve without depending on government remuneration, noting that his businesses would continue to support him after leaving office.
Lulu-Briggs also said he would not require a pension after his tenure because his businesses would remain operational.
He said the sacrifice was intended to restore public confidence in government and demonstrate that political office should be treated as an opportunity to serve rather than enrich oneself.
The NDC candidate lamented the trust deficit between Rivers residents and those governing the state, promising to deliberately rebuild the relationship if elected.
“People need to begin to have faith in their government again. The trust deficit between the ruled and the rulership is frightening,” he said.
Lulu-Briggs said his proposed reset would cover the state’s economy, politics, governance and access to opportunities, insisting that residents should not need political connections to benefit from government programmes.
“You will not need to know anybody to get something,” he declared.
He identified young people as the strength of society and said his administration would invest heavily in human capital, arguing that Rivers State’s future should not depend solely on its natural resources.
“We will not be defined by the things that God has blessed us with only, but by the innovative things that we are able to create,” he said.
On governance, Lulu-Briggs promised to reform the state civil service, which he described as the engine of government. He attributed its weakening partly to the concentration of contracts and government activities at the Government House.
He also pledged major investments in healthcare, particularly through the rehabilitation and activation of primary healthcare centres across the state.
According to him, more doctors would be recruited and given incentives, including accommodation and inconvenience allowances, to encourage them to work in rural communities.
He said the state’s existing teaching hospitals were functioning well but stressed the need for further improvements in patient care and the nursing workforce.
Lulu-Briggs maintained that his ultimate goal was to use public office to restore trust, expand opportunities and ensure that the state’s natural wealth translated into improved living conditions for Rivers residents.
