The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has described former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi as political gamblers, warning Rivers residents against entrusting their future to them.
Media aide to the FCT Minister, Lere Olayinka disclosed this in a statement said, Wike, who spoke during a town hall meeting organised by the Rainbow Coalition in Ayama, Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State, urged residents to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, arguing that leadership should be based on proven performance rather than repeated presidential ambitions.
He accused the opposition figures of treating presidential contests as games of chance, insisting that Nigerians should support leaders with demonstrable achievements and a clear vision for national development.
“Don’t trust your destiny to political gamblers. Don’t trust your destiny to ‘kalokalo’ people,” he told the gathering of traditional rulers, party supporters and community stakeholders.
The minister, who is also the National Leader of the Rainbow Coalition, argued that politicians who repeatedly seek the presidency without presenting convincing solutions to the country’s challenges should not be entrusted with power.
He specifically criticised Atiku and Amaechi, who he said were associated with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), as well as Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), describing them as politicians driven by repeated electoral contests rather than a clear developmental agenda.
“These people are political gamblers, and you cannot give your destiny to ‘kalokalo’ people; you cannot hand over your destiny to political gamblers.
“Give your destiny to somebody who we know, who has tried all this, and he has done it,” Wike said.
Drawing a comparison with historical political figures, the minister argued that repeated attempts at the presidency should be driven by a clear national vision, rather than the desire to recover political investments.
He also challenged Amaechi to identify projects executed in Abua/Odual during his tenure as Rivers State governor, insisting that electoral decisions should be guided by tangible developmental achievements.
Wike defended his own record in the state, urging residents to assess political leaders based on the projects they delivered and their contributions to their communities.
He also commended the Tinubu administration for what he described as efforts to stabilise critical sectors of the economy and restore industrial harmony in tertiary institutions.
The minister urged the people of Abua/Odual to support Tinubu for president, Kingsley Chinda for governor, Felix Obua for Rivers West Senatorial District and Solomon Boss for the Abua/Odual-Ahoada East Federal Constituency, all under the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He, however, called on residents to support John Iderima, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the Abua/Odual State Constituency.
In his remarks, the APC governorship candidate in Rivers State, Kingsley Chinda, commended Wike for his grassroots mobilisation efforts in support of Tinubu and other candidates aligned with the Rainbow Coalition.
Chinda said the coalition would adopt a people-oriented approach to governance if elected, adding that the people would play a central role in determining government policies and priorities.
“This is a system that we will sustain when we come into government. We have learnt from him, and we will continue.
“It will be a bottom-up approach; the people will decide and determine their fate in government,” he said.
