Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has intensified his criticism of prominent opposition figures ahead of the 2027 elections, describing former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi as political gamblers while urging voters in Rivers State to support President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking at a town hall in Ayama, Abua/Odual Local Government Area, Wike accused opposition politicians of repeatedly seeking national office without offering a convincing development agenda. He used the local expression “kalokalo” to liken their political ambitions to games of chance, and also criticised Peter Obi, whom the account identifies as a presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
“Don’t trust your destiny to political gamblers. Don’t trust your destiny to ‘kalokalo’ people,” Wike told the gathering. His comments were political allegations and campaign rhetoric, rather than independent findings about the candidates’ intentions or records.
The minister contrasted his infrastructure record as Rivers governor with Amaechi’s, challenging the former governor to identify projects delivered to Abua/Odual during his administration. He praised Tinubu’s performance and urged support for a slate of preferred candidates, including Chinda for governor, Felix Obua for Rivers West Senate and Solomon Boss for the Abua/Odual–Ahoada East House constituency.
Wike’s campaign interventions have also attracted attention in Benue State. At an Idoma Hall of Fame event in Abuja, his remarks concerning the state’s reported ₦25 billion monthly federal allocation and alleged political maneuvers involving former Governor Gabriel Suswam and Governor Hyacinth Alia added to debate over emerging alliances. The reported allocation and the alleged plot require independent substantiation.
The so-called Rainbow Coalition, associated with Wike and political figures including former Benue Governor Samuel Ortom, is being discussed as a possible vehicle for supporting Tinubu while influencing state contests. The account identifies former Attorney-General Mike Aondakaa as a PDP governorship candidate supported by the alignment, although candidate and party arrangements remain matters for electoral verification.
A factional APC chairman in Benue, Augustine Agada, has said his group is working with the Wike-linked coalition for Tinubu’s re-election and would not support Alia’s second-term bid. Agada also alleged disagreement over party nominations and court proceedings. Those claims reflect a factional political position, not an established decision by the entire APC.
The developments underline the unusual position of Wike, a PDP politician serving in an APC-led federal administration. For Benue voters, the emerging contest may turn on whether cross-party negotiations or assessments of the governor’s record carry greater weight when the campaign formally begins.
