By Philip Yatai
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, says the Rainbow Coalition in Rivers will align its political strategy on areas it commands electoral strength in the 2027 general elections.
Wike stated this during an inspection tour of ongoing infrastructure projects in Abuja on Monday, ahead of the third anniversary of President Bola Tinubu.
He explained that the political actors from different political parties that made up the coalition would assess prevailing realities before taking decisions.
“Our collective interest is the essence of the coalition in Rivers. We’ll look at where we have strength, compare notes and vote accordingly,” he said.
The minister also dismissed attempts to associate him with the issues surrounding the screening of aspirants in Rivers by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting that he had no role in the process.
He maintained that he would not speculate on matters outside his spheres of influence.
“I’m not a member of the APC, so I don’t know what is happening in their screening. Even if they publish the results, why would I comment?
“What concerns me is what I will talk about, not what does not concern me. I’m not a native doctor, neither am I a prophet,” he added.
Reacting to complaints over alleged harassment by officials of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) during tax enforcement operations, the Minister said that no formal complaint had been lodged with the FCT Administration against AMAC officials.
He, however, noted that tax compliance remained a challenge among many residents.
“There must be a civilised way of collecting taxes, but knowing our taxpayers, people don’t like to pay tax. When tax collectors come, they find one excuse or the other,” Wike said. (NAN)
Edited by Yakubu Uba
