A video circulating widely on X (formerly Twitter) claims that youths in Abuja took to the streets shortly after Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike pledged strong support for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid in the territory, chanting “Obi” while carrying placards and banners.
The post shared on Thursday evening, shows a large crowd of mostly young people gathering and moving along a street lined with buildings, vehicles, streetlights and trees under an overcast sky.
Many wear white or red clothing. Nigerian flags are visible, along with placards and banners. Some individuals hold up phones to record the scene. An overlay image of former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi appears in the corner, alongside a logo reading “NDC” with a peace-sign hand symbol.
The accompanying caption states: “Shortly after Wike said he has already won Abuja for APC, Abuja Youths came out to say, ‘We Are Waiting For the Election, as they Chant OBI with placards and banners.’”
The post quickly gained significant traction, accumulating thousands of likes, reposts and views within hours. Similar versions of the same video and claim were shared by other accounts.
What Wike Actually Said
Wike’s recent comments came during the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council in Abuja on Wednesday. Named coordinator for Tinubu’s campaign in Rivers State and the FCT, the minister pledged that both areas would vote “massively” for the president.
He also warned APC leaders against claiming collective victory if they failed to deliver their own states. “If you don’t deliver your state and the president wins, don’t say we have won,” Wike said, according to multiple reports. He emphasised personal responsibility over campaign titles.
No mainstream reports quote Wike as declaring that he or the APC had “already won” Abuja. His remarks focused on a future pledge for the January 2027 presidential election and accountability among campaign officials.
Wike, who remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while serving in Tinubu’s administration, has positioned himself as a key mobiliser through a cross-party “Rainbow Coalition” involving APC and PDP stakeholders in the FCT. He has described himself as the “commander of field operations” for the territory’s campaign efforts.
Questions Over the Video’s Authenticity and Timing
Replies to the viral post quickly raised doubts. Several users described the footage as an older clip from 2023, linked to Labour Party activities in Cross River State rather than a spontaneous Abuja response in October 2026. One commenter wrote: “Rewarming old video… This video was cross river in 2023– Labor party!” Others questioned the relevance of 2023 Labour Party branding to current “NDC” or Obi-related messaging and asked for evidence of a fresh Abuja protest specifically reacting to Wike.
No independent news reports from major Nigerian outlets confirmed a large-scale youth demonstration in Abuja on or immediately after Wike’s Wednesday remarks that matched the video’s description. Searches for contemporaneous coverage of such an event yielded no matching results.
Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party candidate who performed strongly in parts of the country including urban centres, continues to be a focal point for opposition and youth-driven political energy ahead of 2027. Discussions around possible new platforms or coalitions (sometimes referenced with “NDC” or similar labels in online spaces) have circulated among supporters, though formal structures remain fluid.
Broader Context
The exchange highlights intensifying early campaigning for the 2027 elections. Wike has repeatedly expressed confidence in delivering the FCT, citing infrastructure projects under his tenure and cross-party alliances. Indigenous groups in the territory have also publicly backed him and Tinubu in recent statements.
Opposition voices and online supporters of Obi, meanwhile, continue to mobilise around themes of electoral integrity, youth participation and resistance to perceived ruling-party dominance. Viral social media content often amplifies or reframes political developments, sometimes with disputed context or recycled footage.
As of Friday morning, the original post and its variants remained active online, fuelling partisan debate. Neither Wike’s office nor organised Obi-aligned groups in Abuja had issued formal statements specifically addressing the video’s claims at the time of reporting.
The episode underscores how quickly political messaging travels on social media in Nigeria’s polarised environment—and how quickly questions of authenticity follow.
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