Opposition Dares Wike

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Opposition Dares Wike’s Rainbow Coalition

Forget Rivers, only Tinubu can win state – Wike tells opposition

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has claimed that President Bola Tinubu is the only presidential candidate capable of winning Rivers State in the 2027 general elections.

Speaking during his monthly media chat in Abuja on Tuesday, Wike said anyone calculating the outcome of the next presidential election should leave Rivers State out unless the votes are being counted for Tinubu.

“If anybody is counting Rivers, go now and cancel it. The only person that can count Rivers is Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I’m not talking because I want to talk; I’m talking as a political realist because I know my people,” he said.

The former Rivers State governor said that politicians from different political parties had formed a broad coalition to support President Tinubu’s re-election while working together for the interest of Rivers State.

According to him, the alliance includes members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Labour Party (LP), the Action Alliance (AA) and other political groups.

“Today, we have PDP, APC, Labour Party, AA all together. We have candidates across different political parties for the House of Assembly and National Assembly. We will support the candidate who is most acceptable. Whoever emerges should not be seen as APC or PDP; the person should be seen as the coalition’s candidate,” Wike said.

He added that the coalition was expanding across the state.

“All we are doing is for one purpose, to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. It is all-inclusive and it is spreading like wildfire,” he added.

Wike dismissed claims that the coalition was aimed at strengthening any particular political party, insisting that its priority was to ensure Rivers State continued to benefit from the federal government.

“For me, what matters is Rivers State. If Rivers State is relevant because projects are coming and people are benefiting from government, then I am satisfied. It is not about personal ambition; it is about the interest of the state,” he said.

Wike said his years in public office had given him a deep understanding of politics and leadership.

“I have been in politics since 1999. Nobody can teach me politics or tell me how to navigate it. Politics is about leadership and understanding the interests of your people,” he said.

The FCT minister also recalled the 2019 governorship election in Rivers State, alleging that the state witnessed an overwhelming deployment of federal security forces during the poll.

“I saw what federal might means. Military personnel came with battalions as if Rivers State was at war. We survived it by the grace of God and fought back,” he said.

He maintained that his political influence came from the trust the people of Rivers State have in him.

Fayose Dares Wike with ₦1bn, Rolls-Royce Bet, Insists Peter Obi Will Crush Tinubu in Rivers

The battle for the political soul of Rivers State ahead of the 2027 presidential election took a dramatic turn on Wednesday as businessman and social commentator, Isaac Fayose, challenged the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to a ₦1 billion and Rolls-Royce wager.

He insisted that National Democratic Coalition (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, would overwhelmingly defeat President Bola Tinubu in the state.

Fayose’s challenge came barely 24 hours after Wike declared during his monthly media chat in Abuja that Tinubu was the only presidential candidate capable of winning Rivers State in the next general election.

In a video that has since gone viral on social media, Fayose dismissed Wike’s prediction, maintaining that Obi would secure no fewer than 72 per cent of the votes in Rivers State.

According to him, he was ready to stake his Rolls-Royce and ₦1 billion on the outcome if Wike was equally confident enough to match the bet.

“Minister Wike, I’m ready to bet with you—Rolls-Royce for Rolls-Royce and ₦1 billion. Let’s deposit the stake in court. The NDC presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, will win Rivers State with 72 per cent of the votes.”

The businessman further declared that Obi’s victory in Rivers State would become obvious long before the final declaration of results.

“Peter Obi will win before 12 noon on election day in Rivers State by 72 per cent. I repeat, Mr Minister, Peter Obi will win Rivers State by 72 per cent before 12 noon.”

Fayose Questions Wike’s Confidence, Alleges 2023 Poll Was Manipulated

Fayose, however, said his prediction was based on what he described as a free, fair and transparent election.

He alleged that the 2023 presidential election in Rivers State was manipulated through the alteration of results, claiming that Obi was denied victory despite enjoying overwhelming support from voters.

According to him, if the 2027 presidential election is conducted without interference, rigging or alteration of results, Obi would comfortably secure about 72 per cent of the votes in Rivers State.

He challenged Wike to prove his confidence in Tinubu’s popularity by accepting the wager and depositing both the luxury vehicles and the ₦1 billion stake in court ahead of the election.

The challenge has sparked widespread reactions online, adding fresh fuel to the growing political contest over Rivers State ahead of the 2027 polls.

During his monthly media chat on Tuesday, Wike had confidently declared that Rivers State was no longer available to any presidential candidate other than Tinubu.

Wike disclosed that politicians across party lines had formed a broad coalition to deliver Rivers State to Tinubu in 2027.

According to him, the alliance comprises members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Labour Party (LP), the Action Alliance (AA) and other political groups.

He stated, “Today, we have PDP, APC, Labour Party, AA all together. We have candidates across different political parties for the House of Assembly and National Assembly.

“We will support the candidate who is most acceptable. Whoever emerges should not be seen as APC or PDP; the person should be seen as the coalition’s candidate.”

He added that the coalition was rapidly gaining momentum across the state.

He added, “All we are doing is for one purpose, to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. It is all-inclusive and it is spreading like wildfire.”

The minister insisted that the coalition was driven by the interest of Rivers State rather than partisan considerations.

National Democratic Coalition NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi left and President Bola Tinubu whose expected 2027 electoral showdown is already stirring intense political debate over control of Rivers State

He said, “For me, what matters is Rivers State. If Rivers State is relevant because projects are coming and people are benefiting from government, then I am satisfied. It is not about personal ambition; it is about the interest of the state.”

Wike also defended his political experience, saying his more than two decades in public office had equipped him with a deep understanding of Nigeria’s political dynamics.

Nigeria oil market

He shared, “I have been in politics since 1999. Nobody can teach me politics or tell me how to navigate it. Politics is about leadership and understanding the interests of your people.”

Beyond the election debate, Fayose also criticised the FCT Minister over the continued roaming of cattle on major roads within Abuja.

The criticism followed Wike’s response during the media chat when asked what the Federal Capital Territory Administration was doing to address the development.

Rather than announce specific measures, Wike described the issue as one of national security.

“I won’t talk about cows; it’s national security. Tell the NSA and all of them to sit down and know what they will do about it. Anyway, let’s leave it there.”

Fayose accused the minister of failing to confront a growing public safety concern, arguing that the FCT Administration should take responsibility instead of leaving the matter entirely to security agencies.

Rivers electorate will reject Wike-led Rainbow Coalition, says Dagogo

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship hopeful in Rivers State, Dr. Farah Dagogo, has declared that the Wike-led Rainbow Coalition would be rejected by voters in the 2027 governorship election, insisting that Rivers people are yearning for a new political direction.

Dagogo, who described his campaign as a movement for the “liberation” of Rivers State, accused members of the coalition of contributing to what he characterised as years of stagnation in the state.

Speaking at a strategic stakeholder consultation meeting, the ADC candidate said the 2027 election would give Rivers voters an opportunity to reject what he called “recycled failure” and demand a government focused on development and the welfare of the people.

He said the political influence of the Rainbow Coalition would be tested at the ballot box, arguing that Rivers voters, rather than political calculations, would determine the group’s actual strength.

“The truth is, it is the Rainbow Coalition against the entire Rivers State because the Rainbow Coalition people are bearers of the chain of bondage militating against the state.

“They are a gathering of those who have benefited from the retrogression of our state and are determined to keep it that way,” Dagogo said.

He added: “We will put their name, Rainbow Coalition, to the test in the 2027 general elections. Rivers people are tired of recycled failure. It is time to break this cycle and set our state on the path of real development.”

Dagogo also criticised what he described as attempts to rewrite the history of the Bodo-Bonny Road project and attribute its completion exclusively to President Bola Tinubu

According to him, the project was the product of decades of agitation by the people of Bonny, the intervention of community leaders and successive federal administrations.

He traced the demand for the road to the 1950s, when the late Amanyanabo of Grand Bonny Kingdom, King Eugene William Dappa Pepple II, Perekule IX, reportedly raised concerns about the ability of residents to leave the island during an emergency following the commencement of Shell operations in the area.

Dagogo said the late Chief Dappa Biriye and other leaders later took the demand to the military government of General Yakubu Gowon through the then Military Governor of Old Rivers State, Admiral Alfred Diete-Spiff.

He said the Gowon administration approved designs for the project in the early 1970s, but implementation was stalled for decades.

According to him, a bridge span constructed during the Second Republic was subsequently abandoned, becoming a symbol of unfulfilled promises by successive administrations.

He said former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan also contributed to keeping the project alive through various interventions, including its re-award in 2014.

Dagogo further credited the current Amanyanabo of Grand Bonny Kingdom, King Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple III, Edward I, JP, CON, Perekule XI, with engaging the Muhammadu Buhari administration on the need to revive the project.

He said the engagement eventually resulted in Nigeria LNG Limited funding the project through a tax-credit arrangement and its revival under a public-private partnership.

Dagogo therefore accused members of the Rainbow Coalition of attempting to appropriate the credit for the project.

“By the time this administration came in, the project was already about 95 per cent completed. To now claim sole glory is deceptive,” he said.

The ADC candidate also recalled the controversy surrounding the groundbreaking ceremony for the project in 2017, alleging that the Rivers State Government at the time attempted to frustrate the use of public school fields for the federal event.

Dagogo, who said he was the Chairman of the Rivers State House of Assembly Committee on Education at the time, alleged that the state Ministry of Education warned school principals and headmasters against allowing school facilities to be used for the ceremony.

He said the event, initially scheduled for Government Girls Secondary School, Finima, was eventually moved to Shell Gate on Bonny Island.

“I kicked against it, engaged the state government and advised that we should not allow politics to get in the way of a project that would benefit our people,” he said.

Dagogo accused the same political interests of now attempting to take credit for a project he claimed they had opposed at the time.

“Today, they are applauding the same projects and sharing glories among themselves, but their roles and the events that played out are already etched in history and cannot be rewritten,” he said.

On his agenda for Rivers State, Dagogo promised to prioritise education, healthcare, security, electricity, employment, wealth creation, affordable housing, agriculture and infrastructure.

He pledged to make education free and functional while integrating Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics and Sports (STEAMS) into the state curriculum.

He also promised to rebuild the primary healthcare system and improve access to basic healthcare, particularly for children.

“Security will be treated as a top priority because no investor and no family can thrive in fear,” he said.

The ADC candidate further pledged to commit five per cent of the state’s annual budget to youth entrepreneurship, skills acquisition and job creation.

“Our youths are not the problem. They are the solution. Five per cent of our annual budget will go directly into youth entrepreneurship, skills acquisition, and job creation. We cannot continue to produce graduates without giving them a future,” he said.

He also promised programmes to address infrastructure deficits, develop agriculture and support small businesses across Rivers State’s 23 local government areas.

“We are not coming to manage poverty. We are coming to end it. The time has come for Rivers State to move forward, and with your mandate to serve and not rule over you, we will do it,” Dagogo said.