If not that he is taking Nigeria as a banana republic, how could a politician be making such a claim when he has only one vote to cast for the President in Rivers and not even in the FCT?
By Moses Okorie
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), FCT Chapter, has challenged the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to prepare his resignation letter, insisting that President Bola Tinubu will not win the FCT in the 2027 presidential election.
The party’s challenge followed Wike’s declaration that he would resign as FCT Minister if Tinubu failed to secure victory in both the FCT and Rivers State in the 2027 general election.
Wike reportedly made the pledge on September 30, 2026, during an engagement with members of the Apo Mechanics and Traders Association in Abuja, where he said he would announce his resignation on January 17, 2027, if the President lost in the two territories.
He reiterated the position on Friday, October 2, in Rivers State, boasting that he would ensure Tinubu’s victory in both his home state and the FCT.
Reacting to the minister’s remarks on Friday in Abuja, the NDC FCT Publicity Secretary, Prince Samuel Iloh, said Wike should begin preparing his resignation letter, arguing that the minister had no control over the electoral choices of FCT residents.
Iloh accused Wike of allegedly relying on what he described as an election-rigging mechanism to secure victory for Tinubu, insisting that the electorate would resist any attempt to undermine their votes in 2027.
“If not that he is taking Nigeria as a banana republic, how could a politician be making such a claim when he has only one vote to cast for the President in Rivers and not even in the FCT?” he queried.
The NDC spokesman maintained that residents of the FCT had the constitutional right to freely elect their preferred candidates without intimidation or undue influence.
He called on eligible voters to turn out en masse for the January 16, 2027 presidential election and vote for the NDC presidential candidate, Peter Obi, with Rabiu Kwankwaso as his running mate.
Iloh also urged voters to support the party’s candidates for the National Assembly, including Barrister Amanda Pam for the Senate, as well as Hassan Grema and Adamu Kamal for the House of Representatives.
He further challenged the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to win the FCT, recalling that the party lost the territory in the 2023 presidential election.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Obi of the Labour Party won the FCT in 2023 with 281,717 votes, while Tinubu of the APC secured 90,902 votes.
Iloh argued that the previous election demonstrated the voting preferences of many FCT residents, adding that Wike’s political mobilisation alone would not guarantee victory for the APC.
He urged the electorate to remain politically conscious, participate actively in the forthcoming elections and defend their votes, expressing confidence in the NDC’s candidates across the FCT.