WIKE PRESENTS COALITION CANDIDATES TO ETCHE, OMUMA PEOPLE
● Chinda takes note of Etche’s requests
● Wike urges political elite to unite
● Seeks support for President Bola Tinubu
By PHC Telegraph
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Sunday presented candidates backed by the Rainbow Coalition to political leaders and supporters from Etche and Omuma Local Government Areas, urging the electorate to vote massively for them in the 2027 elections.
Addressing a well-attended town hall meeting at the Etche Local Government Council headquarters in Okehi, Wike said the volume of votes delivered by a people often determines the political attention, appointments and development benefits they receive after elections.
He urged the people of Etche and Omuma to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election as well as candidates adopted by the Rainbow Coalition on the platforms of the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party.
Wike’s appeal followed a three-point request presented by the President-General of Ogbakor Etche, Dr Silas Anyanwu.
The requests included the conversion of the Rivers State University Faculty of Agriculture campus at Abara into a full-fledged University of Agriculture; support for the establishment of a museum to preserve and promote Etche’s cultural heritage; and the appointment of qualified Etche sons and daughters to positions at the federal level.
Anyanwu thanked Wike for the development projects attracted to Etche during his tenure as Rivers State governor. He particularly praised the former governor for supporting the emergence of an Etche indigene as senator.
Responding, Wike urged the people to re-elect Senator Allwell Onyesoh and Rep Kelechi Nwogu. He also canvassed support for the Rainbow Coalition’s candidates for Etche State Constituencies I and II.
The FCT Minister stressed the need for Etche’s political leaders to close ranks, saying he had worked tirelessly to reconcile previously divided interests and bring the area’s political elite under one umbrella.
He welcomed former House of Representatives member Chief Ogbonna Nwuke; former Omuma council chairman Chief Nwuke Anucha; and former Etche council caretaker chairman John Ngubo-Otamiri back into the political fold.
Wike said the Rainbow Coalition would continue to expand, predicting that more political leaders and their supporters would join the movement in the weeks ahead.
He maintained that unity among political leaders would enable Etche and Omuma to bargain more effectively for projects, appointments and other benefits at the state and federal levels.
Speaking at the meeting, the APC governorship candidate, Rep Ogundu Kingsley Chinda, said he had taken note of the three requests presented by the Etche people and looked forward to addressing them when the opportunity arose.
Chinda thanked the people of Etche and Omuma for the support being extended to candidates endorsed by the Rainbow Coalition.
He described the candidates as “children of a lion,” saying they were focused, prepared and ready to deliver the dividends of democracy.
The Okehi meeting formed part of Wike’s continuing tour of Rivers communities to mobilise support for President Tinubu and the candidates selected by the Rainbow Coalition.
The FCT Minister has addressed similar town hall meetings in Obio/Akpor, Ahoada and Abua/Odual, where he urged voters to rise above rigid party affiliations and support the coalition’s preferred candidates.
