Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, said his political camp does not require the support of a sitting governor to mobilise backing for President Bola Tinubu in Rivers State ahead of the 2027 general election.
Wike spoke on Saturday in Port Harcourt during the inauguration of the headquarters of the Rivers chapter of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, where he expressed confidence in his team’s capacity to deliver massive support for Tinubu’s re-election.
He praised Desmond Akawor, the state coordinator of the group, for what he described as an extensive grassroots mobilisation effort across Rivers.
“Desmond Akawor, you have shown enough capacity to mobilise; you have moved to all the nooks and crannies of Rivers to talk about Tinubu for president in 2027,” Wike said.
The former Rivers governor declared that the state remains firmly in Tinubu’s camp, insisting that the mobilisation structures already in place speak for themselves.
“I have said before that Rivers state is a no-go area, and I want to say again that this state is totally for Tinubu,” he said.
Wike recalled the inauguration of coordinators across all 23 local government areas and zones, saying the event sent a clear message nationwide.
“We have made sure that all the 23 local governments and zonal coordinators were inaugurated; that day Nigerians all over the world watched that Rivers state is a no-go area,” he said.
He also described the commissioning of the group’s secretariat and operational vehicles as a major milestone, noting that it was unprecedented in the region.
“This is the first of its kind in this part of the country,” he said.
Emphasising the seriousness of his camp’s commitment, Wike challenged others to emulate their approach.
“I challenge anybody; let them come to Rivers state and learn. Our commitment is not by mouth, our commitment is not by newspaper; ours is by showing that, yes indeed, we are working for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
The FCT minister stressed that political mobilisation does not depend on holding the governorship, pointing to the presence of lawmakers and party leaders within his fold.
“We don’t need to have a governor to mobilise for Mr President; we don’t need it. We have all it takes to be on our own. We have senators, assembly people, council chairmen, national assembly members, and party chairmen of APC and PDP,” he said.
According to him, genuine support requires sacrifice and organisation, not reliance on external resources.
“If you say you are supporting somebody, there is no need for the person to bring his resources; you have to make a commitment, and this is what our leaders have done,” Wike added.
He also took a swipe at unnamed governors, accusing them of encouraging betrayal in Rivers politics and warning that such actions often come full circle.
Wike’s remarks were widely seen as a veiled reference to Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, with whom he has been locked in a prolonged political battle over control of the state.
