Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has declared that no political group can force his political camp out of Rivers State, insisting his loyalists have remained steadfast despite pressure since the 2023 general elections.
Speaking on Saturday during a visit to the Port Harcourt City Local Government Area (LGA) secretariat, Wike told party leaders, traditional rulers, women and youth groups that his camp had endured threats and attacks without wavering.
“Nobody in this state can push us out. We have led this war since 2023 and we have never reneged. There was no amount of threats that did not come, yet we stood firm,” he said.
Wike has been touring the state’s 23 local government areas to thank supporters for their role in the last elections and to mobilise continued backing for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 polls.
He said his political camp had paid the price for its early and consistent support for Tinubu and the Renewed Hope agenda, describing Rivers as a reliable base for the President.
“If there is one state the President knows he can go home and sleep with his two eyes closed, it is Rivers State,” he said.
The minister accused some politicians of attempting to appropriate the Renewed Hope agenda after failing to support Tinubu during the election, arguing that such efforts would not succeed.
“In 2023, we led the war here. We were the Renewed Hope agenda people from the beginning. Those who went elsewhere and supported Abubakar, and could not even give him 10 per cent, now want to lead the Renewed Hope agenda. You failed,” he said.
Using a culinary metaphor, Wike said those seeking to claim credit had not contributed to the process. “You did not buy the pepper, you did not buy the salt, you did not buy the oil. Suddenly the food is ready and you want to eat first,” he said.
He described Port Harcourt as a cosmopolitan city where winning elections is particularly difficult, adding that any electoral success there carries weight.
The former governor also said Rivers was unique for bringing leaders of the two main political parties together to work as a team, a strategy he credited with Tinubu’s victory.
“This is the only state where you can see the leadership of two major political parties working as a team. That is what produced Mr President,” he said.
He urged leaders within the state to sustain unity and humility, saying leadership was earned, not inherited.
Furthermore, Wike commended the Port Harcourt City council leadership for cooperation and called for continued unity to deliver further development.
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