The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said the people of Rivers State would not repeat what he described as a leadership mistake in 2027.
Wike made the remark on Tuesday during a thank-you visit to the people of Khana in Bori, Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Although he said the visit was not political, the minister warned that leaders who failed to appreciate the support given to them by the people would not be given another opportunity.
“As for the state, we will talk about that later. You know what I mean. We will not make a mistake again,” he said.
Wike added that political support did not guarantee an automatic ticket, stressing that aspirants must earn the confidence of the people.
“If you like, shout mandate 20 times. Your ticket is not automatic. We have shouted mandate since 2023, so it’s no longer new for us,” he said.
While he did not mention Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara by name, the comments come amid a prolonged political crisis between both men over control of the state’s political structure.
The disagreement led to Governor Fubara’s suspension and the declaration of a state of emergency in the state by President Bola Tinubu, which was lifted in September 2025.
Wike had also reiterated the same position on Monday during his end-of-the-year media parley, where he said that Governor Fubara’s public support for President Tinubu, following his defection to the All Progressives Congress in early December, did not automatically secure him a second-term ticket.
“So many people think that when you sing ‘on your mandate we stand’, that gives you an automatic ticket. No, it doesn’t. You have to work and earn the ticket,” he said.
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Addressing the Khana people, Wike urged them to support President Tinubu in the 2027 elections, saying political party divisions were no longer relevant.
“For us, there’s nothing like APC or PDP; what we have is Renewed Hope. We are not voting based on party but on the fact that we belong to one political family,” he said.
He thanked the people of Khana for their support in the 2023 general election, describing it as risky at the time to openly back Tinubu.
The minister said the President had reciprocated the support through key interventions in the area, including appointments, the approval of the Federal University of Environment, and the presidential pardon granted to the Ogoni Nine.
According to him, the local government has benefited from improved infrastructure and federal presence, adding that more appointments and projects would come to Ogoniland.