Wike asks Ogonis to back Tinubu in 2027 over new federal university

Residents of Ogoniland have been urged to show their appreciation at the ballot box in 2027 for the creation of a new federal university in their area.

The call came from the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who spoke on Wednesday at a Rainbow Coalition town hall meeting in Saakpenwa, Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Wike said President Bola Tinubu's administration approved the Federal University of Environment and Technology and gave Ogoni sons and daughters key federal appointments, and that the community should return the favour with votes.

He described the school as a long-term investment in jobs and business. Students and staff will need housing, transport and food, he said, and local traders and landlords stand to gain as the university grows.

"You don't know what you have because the university just started," Wike said, adding that its impact would be clearer in four or five years.

Why it matters to Tai residents

The minister said getting a federal university approved is not easy, requiring both the National Assembly and the president, and that some bills sit for years. He gave the credit to the late Senator Barry Mpigi, who pushed for the approval before his death in March 2026.

Wike also set a target for political leaders in Tai: 70 per cent of the votes actually cast for Tinubu and other Rainbow Coalition candidates in 2027. He stressed this means 70 per cent of valid votes on election day, not of registered voters, and said the area could get extra support if it meets the mark.

He welcomed associates who had left the coalition and returned, saying the group never split. "There was a small fight and so we've all come back together to work as a team," he said, and asked leaders to treat returning members fairly.

Tai council chairman and coalition coordinator Mbakpone Okpe said the council plans to partner with Wike on an estate to house students, parents and visitors. He said the council has built the university's entrance gate and about one kilometre of dual carriageway inside the campus.

Okpe put the council's first-quarter PVC collection at 4,568 and said ₦100 million has been set aside for the proposed incentive scheme. He added that about ₦120 million is spent monthly on an empowerment programme reaching at least 3,400 people.

The meeting also honoured Mpigi, with Okpe thanking Wike for handling the funeral arrangements.

What happens next

The estate project is expected to move forward once developers sign an agreement, according to Okpe. The 2027 vote target and the ₦100 million incentive plan are proposals from the coalition, and no date has been given for when the scheme would start.