The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Monday declared himself the field commander of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign in the FCT, pledging to coordinate the president’s campaign in the territory and Rivers State ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Wike made the declaration at a Rainbow Coalition stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, where he unveiled a cross-party mobilisation strategy involving members of the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party to secure Tinubu’s re-election.

The meeting also saw PDP National Assembly candidates in the FCT declare support for their APC counterparts, with Wike saying the coalition had agreed to work together for Tinubu’s re-election and the success of APC candidates in the National Assembly elections.

“For the Presidency, all of us have agreed that it is Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I will coordinate the FCT and Rivers State. So you can imagine how important it is.

“I am in charge of the FCT election. I am the commander of field operations as far as the FCT election is concerned,” the minister said.

The meeting was attended by APC and PDP stakeholders, including party chairmen, serving and former senators, National Assembly candidates and political leaders from the FCT’s six area councils.

Wike said the gathering was intended to establish a common political front ahead of the elections, regardless of the parties to which the participants might belong.

“I want to let all of you know that we are going to work together. Nobody should say, ‘I am PDP’ or ‘I am APC.’ For the purpose of this election, we are together,” he said.

The former Rivers State governor cited the 2024 Edo State governorship election as an example of how political alliances could influence electoral outcomes.

He claimed that cooperation between elements of the APC and PDP had helped prevent the incumbent governor from installing a successor, arguing that political differences could be set aside when stakeholders shared a common objective.

Wike, however, clarified that the coalition’s arrangement was primarily focused on the presidential election, leaving participating parties to determine their positions on other contests.

Making a case for Tinubu’s re-election, the minister challenged political leaders to identify any of the FCT’s six area councils that had not benefited from infrastructure projects and institutional reforms under the current administration.

He cited the establishment of the FCT Civil Service Commission, the appointment of a Head of the Civil Service from within the territory’s workforce and the creation of the Women Affairs and Youth Development secretariats as evidence of the administration’s achievements.

According to Wike, the reforms had created opportunities for career progression among FCT civil servants and expanded participation in governance.

He also listed road construction and rehabilitation, school renovations, police stations and other public facilities among projects being executed across the territory.

The minister expressed confidence that the administration’s performance would provide a basis for mobilising FCT residents to support Tinubu in 2027.

Wike also defended the President’s economic reforms, acknowledging that some policies had imposed hardship but arguing that difficult decisions were necessary to address longstanding economic challenges.

“Changing the economy of a country is not like a prayer,” he said, adding that the benefits of economic reforms might not be immediate.

He further expressed support for the proposed establishment of state police, describing it as an important measure for addressing Nigeria’s security challenges.

Source: punchng.com

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The Society for People with Disability Forum in the North-West has pledged to mobilise five million votes for President Bola Tinubu and Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf in the 2027 general elections.

The forum announced its endorsement of the two leaders on Sunday during a sensitisation programme in Kano aimed at encouraging persons with disabilities to participate in the elections.

The forum’s National Chairman, Yarima Suleiman, said the endorsement was based on what the group described as the contributions of the All Progressives Congress-led governments to the welfare of persons with disabilities.

“As a forum, we are committed to mobilising five million votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf in the 2027 general elections.

“Today, we call our people with disabilities from 19 states, including Abuja, to show our interest in voting for President Bola Tinubu for a second term, for what the APC has done for us,” Suleiman said.

He cited the establishment of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities and the appointment of a Senior Special Assistant to the President on disability matters as some of the initiatives the group considered significant.

Suleiman said the forum expected greater representation in government if Tinubu won re-election in 2027.

“I am assuring you that if President Bola Ahmed Tinubu wins the 2027 election, we are going to get more appointments in the Federal Government,” he said.

He added that the group was seeking the implementation of a five per cent appointment allocation for persons with disabilities across ministries, departments and agencies.

The chairman also claimed that the forum had reached an agreement with Yusuf on appointments in Kano State in exchange for its support for his re-election bid.

The forum’s state chairman, Sa’adu Ibrahim, said members had benefited from welfare programmes introduced by the Federal and state governments under the APC.

He urged persons with disabilities to participate actively in the 2027 elections, saying the group intended to reciprocate what it described as government support by voting for APC candidates at both levels.

In his remarks, Yusuf reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to disability inclusion. He was represented by the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Children and People with Special Needs, Hajiya Amina Sani-Abdullahi.

The governor said his administration had introduced practical interventions to improve the lives of persons with disabilities, including providing wheelchairs to people with spinal cord injuries and promoting para-sports.

“We have provided wheelchairs to spinal cord injury patients, restoring mobility, independence and dignity,” he said.

He added that para-sports activities had created opportunities for persons with disabilities to showcase their talents, build confidence and participate in recreational and competitive sports.

“Persons with disabilities should not be treated merely as beneficiaries of government policies but recognised as active contributors to the state’s development,” he added.

The forum’s endorsement comes as political mobilisation gathers momentum ahead of the 2027 elections. Its pledge to mobilise five million votes represents the group’s stated target, rather than a verified estimate of its membership or voting strength.

Source: punchng.com

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The Independent National Electoral Commission has debunked a fraudulent online publication claiming to be a special announcement by the commission on governorship candidates in six states.

The commission identified the affected states as Zamfara, Gombe, Delta, Plateau, Yobe and Kano.

INEC disclosed this in a public notice issued on Monday and shared across its official social media platforms.

“The Commission wishes to categorically inform the general public that the publication is FAKE and did not originate from INEC,” the statement read.

The electoral body urged members of the public to disregard the publication and refrain from sharing it.

It also advised Nigerians to rely on its official notices, press releases and other information published through its verified communication channels.

“The Commission further wishes to clarify that any information suggesting that INEC has issued a special announcement concerning governorship candidates in the aforementioned states is false,” it added.

INEC urged the public to remain vigilant and verify electoral information through its official channels to avoid being misled by fraudulent publications.

The commission listed its website as inecnigeria.org, its X and Instagram handles as @inecnigeria, its Facebook page as INEC Nigeria and its news portal as inecnews.com.

For enquiries and further clarification, INEC provided its call centre number as 0700-2255-4632, short code 4632, telephone numbers 090844444333 and 09050858629, and email address iccc@inec.gov.ng.

The commission reiterated its commitment to “keeping the public accurately informed and urged Nigerians to obtain electoral information only through its official communication channels.”