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, urging Rivers residents not to entrust Nigeria’s future to them ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Wike made the remarks during a town hall meeting organised by the Rainbow Coalition in Ayama, Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State, where he mobilised support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid and other candidates aligned with the coalition.

Addressing traditional rulers, political supporters and community stakeholders, the minister accused the opposition figures of repeatedly pursuing the presidency without offering a convincing vision for the country.

He urged voters to prioritise candidates with proven records in governance and infrastructure development rather than those he accused of treating presidential elections as games of chance.

“Don’t trust your destiny to political gamblers. Don’t trust your destiny to ‘kalokalo’ people,” Wike told the gathering.

He argued that political leadership should be based on demonstrated competence, experience and the ability to deliver tangible results, rather than repeated attempts to secure power.

Wike specifically criticised Atiku and Amaechi, whom he associated with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), as well as Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), describing them as politicians who had continued to seek the presidency without presenting sufficient evidence of what they could achieve.

“These people are political gamblers and you cannot give your destiny to ‘kalokalo’ people; you cannot hand over your destiny to political gamblers,” he said.

“Give a destiny to somebody who we know, who has tried all this, and he has done it.”

The minister contrasted the opposition figures with leaders he believes have demonstrated the capacity to govern, arguing that Nigerians should not gamble with the country’s future by repeatedly choosing candidates whose political ambitions, in his view, are not backed by a clear development agenda.

He also invoked the example of former United States President Abraham Lincoln, who made multiple attempts to secure political office, arguing that Lincoln’s pursuits were driven by a clear national vision.

Wike, however, accused Atiku of repeatedly contesting presidential elections in what he portrayed as an effort to recover previous political investments rather than advance a defined national programme.

Turning to Rivers State politics, the former governor challenged Amaechi to identify projects he executed in Abua/Odual during his tenure as governor.

He urged residents to assess political leaders based on their records of performance and the impact of their administrations on local communities, rather than campaign promises.

Wike also defended Tinubu’s administration, praising what he described as efforts to stabilise key sectors of the economy and restore industrial harmony in tertiary institutions.

He called on the people of Abua/Odual to support the president in the 2027 election, maintaining that continuity would help sustain the administration’s policies.

The minister also canvassed votes for candidates aligned with the Rainbow Coalition, urging residents to support Tinubu for president, Kinsley Chinda for governor, Felix Obua for the Rivers West Senatorial District and Solomon Boss for the Abua/Odual-Ahoada East Federal Constituency, all under the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He separately urged voters to support John Iderima, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the Abua/Odual State Constituency.

Chinda, the APC governorship candidate in Rivers State, commended Wike for his grassroots mobilisation efforts and his campaign to secure support for Tinubu and other candidates backed by the coalition.

He said the coalition intended to adopt a bottom-up approach to governance, allowing communities to play a greater role in determining their political and developmental priorities.

“This is a system that we will sustain when we come into government. We have learnt from him, and we will continue,” Chinda said.

“It will be a bottom-up approach; the people will decide and determine their fate in government.”

Earlier, Professor Continue Eketu, who spoke on behalf of Abua/Odual communities, praised Wike’s leadership and highlighted projects he said were executed in the area during the minister’s tenure as Rivers governor.

Eketu described Wike as his political idol and declared that the communities had resolved to support candidates endorsed by the Rainbow Coalition in the forthcoming elections.

“We have decided and agreed to vote massively for all candidates of the Rainbow Coalition,” he said.