The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said his frequent visits to Rivers State are aimed at monitoring political activities in the state ahead of the 2027 general elections.

This was just as he insisted that he would not sit back and allow former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to win the presidential election.

Wike made the declaration on Wednesday during his monthly media parley with journalists in Abuja, where he also dismissed speculation that his visits to Rivers indicated plans to relocate from the nation’s capital.

The former Rivers State governor said he needed to maintain direct contact with his political associates and supporters in the state rather than remain in Abuja and depend on assurances that everything was progressing smoothly.

According to him, the current political period required close supervision, making it necessary for him to personally assess developments in Rivers.

“It’s not about relocating, it’s about coming home to relate with the people and talk to them, and also do those things you know how to do very well, not to take chances,” Wike said.

He explained that remaining in Abuja could make it difficult for him to properly assess the political situation on the ground.

“I don’t need to relocate, but I also have to be in touch with my people so that I don’t just sit in Abuja and then say that everything is going on there well.

“I don’t want to sit in Abuja and candidates are saying, ‘oh, don’t bother, everything is going on well’. I have to come home and see that all those things are going on. ‘Have you done this? Have you done this? What about this? What about this?’”

Wike, who remains a major political figure in Rivers State, made it clear that his involvement was also driven by the stakes surrounding the 2027 presidential election.

He challenged the suggestion that he should remain politically inactive while Atiku, now an opposition presidential contender, seeks to secure victory at the polls.

“I can tell you my parents are still very much alive. Of course, this is time for politics.

“You want me to fold my hand for Atiku Abubakar to come and win the election?” he asked.

The FCT minister also renewed his criticism of Rotimi Amaechi, the African Democratic Congress vice presidential candidate, accusing the former Rivers governor of shutting down the judiciary in the state during his tenure.

Wike alleged that the development had severe consequences for detainees, claiming that a pregnant woman was forced to give birth in prison during the period.

“Amaechi, who wants to be vice president today, once shut down the court in Rivers State and made a pregnant woman to give birth in the prison,” he alleged.

Wike made the allegation while questioning the decision of the Nigerian Bar Association to provide Amaechi with a platform to speak at its recently concluded annual conference in Port Harcourt.

He argued that individuals accused of actions capable of undermining the judiciary should not be given an avenue to defend such conduct without scrutiny.

Wike further drew a comparison with his current position as FCT minister, saying that if he were to order the closure of courts in the Federal Capital Territory, he should similarly be held accountable rather than provided a platform to justify the action.