The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has criticised politicians opposing the Rainbow Coalition, accusing them of lacking the capacity to unite their families and communities.

Wike said the political alliance, which brings together stakeholders from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was designed to promote unity, cooperation and development in the FCT.

The minister spoke on Monday during the commissioning of the Gwagwalada Civic Centre and an interactive session with APC and PDP stakeholders in the Gwagwalada Area Council, Abuja.

Commending political leaders in the area for putting aside their party differences, Wike said their decision to work together demonstrated that the collective interest of the people should take precedence over individual political ambitions.

He said, “Some greedy and selfish politicians do not understand what we call unity. They have no capacity to hold their space, they have no capacity to even hold their families, and they have no capacity to hold their communities. So they can open their mouths and say there is no Rainbow Coalition.”

Wike challenged critics of the alliance to explain why politicians who previously belonged to opposing camps should not unite to pursue common interests and development.

He described the political cooperation in Gwagwalada as a departure from confrontational politics, insisting that the FCT needed unity rather than unnecessary political hostilities.

The minister also urged residents not to repeat what he described as the mistake of the 2023 general elections, calling for credible and effective representation at the National Assembly.

He questioned whether the senator representing the FCT adequately understood the challenges confronting residents of the territory’s six area councils: Gwagwalada, Kuje, Bwari, Kwali, Abaji and Abuja Municipal Area Council.

Wike specifically canvassed support for former Senator Philip Aduda and other candidates endorsed by the coalition, stressing that elected representatives must understand the needs of their constituents and remain accessible to them.

He also declared support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, urging coalition members to begin grassroots mobilisation and ensure that their political endorsements translate into votes.

“On the day of the election, it will not be a day for market or fishing. It is the day all of us have decided to come together and demonstrate our strength through our votes. Go to the polling units, districts and communities and mobilise the people to vote for Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.

Earlier, the FCT APC Chairman, Ishaku Tanko Yamawo, described the gathering as historic, noting that Wike’s political intervention had brought together leaders who previously operated on opposing sides.

He said politicians who once considered themselves rivals because of party affiliations were now working together under a common political arrangement in Gwagwalada.

Yamawo also praised the minister for reducing political tension in the area, adding that political activities had become more peaceful, with fewer incidents of violence and destruction of property.

Similarly, the FCT PDP Chairman, Ismaila Mohammed Dogara, commended Wike for his development interventions, particularly the revival of a project that had been abandoned for 16 years in Gwagwalada.

Dogara said the alliance between APC and PDP stakeholders reflected the minister’s commitment to fostering cooperation across political divides.

The Aguma of Gwagwalada, Alhaji Muhammadu Magaji, also praised Wike’s contributions to the territory, describing the revival of the abandoned civic centre as evidence of the importance of continuity in governance.

In his welcome address, the Gwagwalada Area Council Chairman, Kassim Mohammed, listed road projects executed by his administration in Gwagwalada metropolis, Tungan Wada, Abum-pe and other communities.

He thanked Wike for approving the establishment of a one-inch chip facility in the area but appealed for the minister’s intervention on the road linking the Army checkpoint to the Specialist Hospital.

A former chairman of the council, Zakari Angulu Dobi, recalled that the civic centre was almost 80 per cent completed before he left office but was vandalised during its 16-year abandonment, reducing its completion level to about 40 per cent.

He commended the incumbent administration for completing the project, describing it as a victory for Gwagwalada residents irrespective of their political affiliations.

Also speaking, Adamu Mustapha Danze urged FCT residents to reciprocate the attention given to the territory by Tinubu and Wike through their votes in 2027.

The Gwagwalada Area Council Women Leader, Hajara Abdullahi, pledged women’s support for Tinubu, Aduda and other APC candidates, while appealing for the establishment of a cottage hospital to improve healthcare delivery in the area.

The council’s Youth Leader and Special Assistant to the chairman, Inuwa Guzo, also assured Wike of support from youths across the APC and PDP blocs for the Rainbow Coalition.

He, however, appealed for the rehabilitation of the Gwagwalada football stadium, which he said had remained abandoned for more than 25 years.