The Arewa Youth for Peaceful Coexistence has declared that no political party can withstand the political influence of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Nyesom Wike, in the 2027 general elections, describing him as one of Nigeria’s most formidable political strategists.
The group made the assertion in a statement issued on Wednesday by its National Chairman, Haruna Bature, in response to a recent statement by the Rivers State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on the 2027 elections and Wike’s political role.
It said that although every political party has the right to express its views, it was necessary to ‘set the record straight’ in the interests of peace, unity and democratic engagement.
According to the group, Wike’s political trajectory, from serving as a Local Government Chairman and Chief of Staff to completing two terms as Governor of Rivers State and now serving as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, has demonstrated his capacity for leadership, grassroots mobilisation and the delivery of democratic dividends.
It maintained that Wike’s achievements in infrastructure development, youth empowerment and political organisation have earned him widespread goodwill across political, ethnic and regional divides, insisting that his political structure and popularity make him a force that no political party can easily contend with in the 2027 polls.
The Arewa Youth for Peaceful Coexistence urged the ADC and other political actors to avoid inflammatory rhetoric capable of overheating the polity, stressing that the build-up to the next general election should be driven by issue-based campaigns, respect for democratic institutions and peaceful coexistence.
The group reaffirmed its commitment to promoting national unity and peaceful democratic engagement, adding that elections should remain a contest of ideas rather than a platform for insults or intimidation.
It, however, expressed confidence that Nigerians would ultimately determine the outcome of the 2027 elections by rewarding competence, capacity and character at the polls.