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The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr Nyesom Wike, has said the political realignment ahead of the 2027 general elections will produce a larger national coalition in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Wike spoke on Friday in Abuja during an inspection of ongoing projects in the Federal Capital Territory, while reacting to the recent visit of Osun State Governor-elect, Ademola Adeleke, to President Tinubu.

The minister said Adeleke’s engagement with the President was an indication of the emergence of what he described as a “larger Rainbow Coalition” in support of Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Wike dismissed the description of the emerging political alignment as an opposition matter, arguing that the current political landscape did not have a clearly defined leading opposition party.

“When you say opposition, I’ve told you I don’t know what you call opposition, as far as there is no opposition now,” Wike said.

According to him, Adeleke, despite securing his ticket for the Osun governorship election on the platform of the Accord Party, remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), adding that the recent political engagement was aimed at strengthening support for Tinubu.

“What happened last night is meeting to rebuild a larger Rainbow Coalition. And he (Adeleke) is supporting Mr President. He’s in a different party; I’m supporting Mr President, and I’m in a different party. So, it’s a larger Rainbow Coalition,” he said.

Wike said more political developments should be expected in the coming weeks, predicting that additional politicians would align with Tinubu.

“And the next few weeks, watch what is going to happen. You will see a larger Rainbow Coalition in this country supporting Mr President,” he said.

The FCT minister also dismissed claims by members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) that the party and other opposition groups played a decisive role in Adeleke’s electoral victory.

“All those ADC who are talking about ‘they helped Adeleke to win,’ they just wanted to go and harvest where they never planted,” Wike said.

He maintained that Adeleke was now supporting Tinubu, adding that the development had strengthened the President’s position ahead of 2027.

Wike further described the forthcoming election as one that would be easy for the President’s camp, saying the emerging political alignments had significantly altered the opposition landscape.

Reacting to questions on how former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi might perceive his engagement with Adeleke, Wike said their reactions were of little concern to him.

“I have told you when you say ‘leading opposition,’ I’ve told you that there’s no opposition,” he said.

“What you have are people who are just trying to see whether they can be relevant.”

He argued that the PDP, which ordinarily should constitute the major opposition party, had been weakened by its internal crisis.

“Ordinarily, it should have been PDP, but because of the crisis we’ve had, and so you can’t see a formidable party that you will call the leading opposition party,” he said.

Wike said his priority was to ensure victory for his political camp, adding that political contests were not about making opponents comfortable.

Earlier, the minister said the project inspection was part of efforts to ensure that key infrastructure earmarked for completion this year were delivered on schedule.

He inspected the N5 Extension in Life Camp, being executed by Julius Berger, and expressed satisfaction with the progress of work.

Wike said the project was expected to be completed and handed over in December.

He also inspected the N1 Road project being executed by Arab Contractors, describing the quality of work as high and confirming that it was also scheduled for handover in December.

The minister subsequently inspected the IBB International Golf Club, which is undergoing rehabilitation following intervention by President Tinubu.

Wike said the facility had become particularly important to members of the diplomatic community who had complained about the prolonged closure of the club.

“That this golf course must be ready and be reopened by December. So we are giving it to Julius Berger to ensure that everything is done. And by December this year, the golf course will be reopened,” he said.

He explained that Julius Berger was re-engaged because the company originally constructed the facility and had the requisite knowledge of its design and standards.

According to him, physical completion is expected by November, allowing the club to reopen officially in December.

The minister said the golf club was shut following an internal crisis, which led to the appointment of a caretaker committee headed by the President of the Court of Appeal.

He commended the committee for its efforts in resolving the crisis and facilitating the rehabilitation of the facility.

Wike, however, said the government would not continue to bankroll the club after its reopening.

He said the management must generate sufficient revenue to sustain its operations and maintenance without relying on public funds.

“I would believe, this time around, that when this is done, they should be able to raise funds by themselves to run this place. The government should not use public funds to come back to do it,” he said.

The minister assured that the FCT Administration would continue to facilitate payments to the contractor to keep the rehabilitation on schedule, stressing that the December reopening deadline remained firm.

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By Gloria Ikibah

Families of abducted schoolchildren and other victims in Borno State have appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Babagana Umara Zulum to intensify efforts to secure the immediate and safe release of their loved ones, 100 days after some of them were taken captive.

The families made the appeal on Friday at a press conference in Abuja, where they expressed frustration and anguish over the continued captivity of 42 pupils and students of Mussa Primary and Junior Day Secondary School in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.

The children were abducted on May 15, 2026.
The families also raised concerns over 36 students of Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, who were abducted on June 29 while sitting for their National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations.

They further called for the rescue of 38 people reportedly abducted along the Buratai Road to Maiduguri, as well as other victims taken along the Chibok route and other vulnerable roads and communities across the state.

Describing the past 100 days as a period of fear, uncertainty and unbearable pain, the Secretary of the Hawul/Askira-Uba Elders Forum, Malla Gadzama, said families had been left waiting anxiously for the return of their loved ones.

“Too much time has passed without our children. We have endured sleepless nights, fear and uncertainty, and we are still asking one question: where are our loved ones, and when are they coming home?” Gadzama said on behalf of the families.

He urged President Tinubu, as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, to mobilise all available national security resources to rescue the abducted schoolchildren and other victims.

“Mr President, these families have waited long enough. Governor Zulum, these are the children of Borno. Their parents are waiting, their families are suffering, their communities are hurting,” he said.

The families also urged Governor Zulum to use the full weight of his office to push for the release of the victims and work closely with the Federal Government, security agencies and intelligence services to explore every possible avenue for their safe return.

‘If It Could Be Done in Oyo, It Can Be Done in Borno’
The families pointed to the successful rescue of abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State, saying the operation showed that a coordinated and intelligence-led effort could also secure the freedom of the Borno victims.

While commending the Federal Government and security agencies for the Oyo rescue operation, they questioned why the Borno victims had been left in captivity for so long.

“We have seen what is possible when government and security agencies act with urgency. But why should Borno’s children wait this long?” he asked.

The families said they were not demanding preferential treatment, but equal protection and the same level of urgency given to other victims.

“We are not asking for preferential treatment. We are asking for equal protection, urgency, determination and commitment to human life,” he said.

They called for the immediate rescue of the 42 pupils and students abducted from Mussa Primary and Junior Day Secondary School, the 36 students still missing from Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, and the 38 people reportedly abducted along the Buratai Road to Maiduguri.

They also demanded urgent action to rescue victims taken along the Chibok route and other major and vulnerable routes across Borno State.

Beyond rescue operations, the families called for regular, transparent and credible communication from the government and security authorities on efforts being made to secure the victims’ release.

They also demanded stronger security around schools, major highways and vulnerable communities, as well as a properly funded and sustained intelligence-led rescue operation involving all relevant security and intelligence agencies.

‘This Must Not Become Normal’
The families warned against allowing prolonged abductions to become another routine feature of Nigeria’s security crisis.

“The continued captivity of these children cannot become normal,” he said.

“We cannot allow them to become statistics or fade from public attention as time passes.”
They stressed that behind every abduction was a family dealing with fear, anxiety and uncertainty.

“These are not statistics. They are children, parents, siblings, spouses and loved ones. They are human beings whose families are praying and crying every day,” he said.

The families appealed to Nigerians and the authorities not to allow the passage of time to weaken the urgency of the situation.

“100 days is too long. 100 days without our children. 100 days of sleepless nights. 100 days of tears and fear. 100 days of uncertainty,” he said.

Also speaking at the press conference, the lawmaker representing Hawul/Askira-Uba Federal Constituency, Midala Balami, sympathised with the affected families and urged the government to do everything within its power to secure the safe return of the abducted children and other victims.

Balami said the abductions had caused deep emotional and psychological distress among families and residents of the constituency.

“Among those people that you are seeing here, you can see a father whose wife and five-month daughter were abducted. As a representative of Askira-Uba, we have seen sleepless nights. It is so devastating that most times, I lose appetite and I hardly find even my peace. This is the level of devastation we find ourselves,” he said.

He urged the government and security agencies to sustain their efforts until the victims were safely reunited with their families.

The families specifically demanded the immediate rescue and safe return of the 42 pupils and students abducted from Mussa Primary and Junior Day Secondary School; the 36 students still missing from Government Day Secondary School, Lassa; and the 38 people reportedly abducted along the Buratai Road to Maiduguri.

They also called for urgent action to rescue victims abducted along the Chibok route and other dangerous routes across Borno State.

Other demands included regular and credible updates to affected families, increased protection for schools, major roads and vulnerable communities, and a coordinated, intelligence-led and sustained rescue operation backed by the necessary resources.

The families acknowledged the sacrifices of security personnel fighting insurgency and banditry across the country, but said the continued captivity of innocent children and civilians required an urgent national response.

They urged the authorities not to allow the victims to disappear from public attention simply because their captivity had stretched into months.

“Your children are our children. Your pain is our pain,” the families told other affected families, promising to continue speaking out until action was taken.

In their final appeal, the families called on the President and the Borno State Governor to make the rescue of the abducted children and other victims an immediate priority.

“Mr President, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, bring our children home.

“Governor Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, stand with these families and help bring our children home.

“We demand quick action. We demand equal protection. We demand a determined rescue operation. We demand that our children be brought home.

“Enough is enough. Bring our children home. Rescue our loved ones. 100 days is too long.”

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The Federal Government has declared Tuesday, 25th August 2026, a public holiday to mark this year’s Eid ul Mawlid, commemorating the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad.

In a statement, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Magdalene Ajani, says the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government.

The Minister urges Nigerians to reflect on the virtues of compassion, humility and service, while using the occasion to pray for peace and national unity.

Tunji-Ojo also calls on citizens to celebrate with restraint and mutual respect, assuring that the Federal Government remains committed to safeguarding lives and property and maintaining peace across the country.