Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, defended President Bola Tinubu’s performance in office, accusing opposition politicians of misleading Nigerians by portraying the administration as having achieved nothing.

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He made the remarks during a media parley in Abuja, where he also defended the Rainbow Coalition’s efforts to mobilise support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general election.

“Whether anybody likes it or not, Mr President has done well,” Wike said, insisting that political rivalry should not prevent politicians from acknowledging what they consider progress under an incumbent government.

The minister argued that opposition parties should be able to criticise the government without dismissing all its actions.

He warned against treating political competition as a struggle in which winning power takes precedence over every other consideration.

“Politics must not be played as a do-or-die affair,” he said.

Wike said the emerging coalition supporting Tinubu’s re-election was partly a response to what he described as unfair criticism of the President’s administration.

He cited remarks attributed to Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed as an example of an opposition figure recognising aspects of Tinubu’s performance.

According to the minister, supporting the President does not necessarily amount to abandoning opposition politics.

He maintained that political figures should be free to cooperate across party lines where they share an electoral objective.

Wike also defended the Rainbow Coalition, which brings together members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and supporters of Tinubu from other political parties.

He described the initiative as a platform for building broader support for the President rather than eliminating political differences.

The minister said he had been involved in coordinating support for Tinubu in the FCT and Rivers State, despite the competing political interests in both areas.

He argued that a political leader’s influence could be measured by the ability to persuade supporters to back a particular course of action.

He added that the coalition would continue to welcome people willing to support Tinubu’s re-election, regardless of their party affiliations.

In a separate comment reported by Channels Television, Wike dismissed suggestions that a reported political ticket involving former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi was gaining significant support, particularly in northern Nigeria.

Wike pointed to Amaechi’s town hall meeting in Cross River State, claiming that attendance was low.

“I watched Amaechi; he had a town hall meeting in Cross River.

I counted the number; they were not up to 200 people,” he said, according to Channels Television.

The comments come amid growing political activity ahead of the 2027 general election, with political parties and prominent figures positioning themselves for the contest.

Amaechi, an opposition figure, recently challenged the Tinubu administration to identify major projects completed under its watch, according to a report by Channels Television.

Wike, however, maintained that Nigerians should assess the President’s administration based on its record rather than what he described as partisan claims.