Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has called on members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the FCT to back President Bola Tinubu and the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 elections.
Wike, who serves as the coordinator of the President Bola Tinubu/APC Presidential Campaign Council in the FCT, made the call on Wednesday at a political stakeholders forum in Abuja.
“I know all the PDP FCT will support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will support Senator Philip Tanimu Aduda, and will support Dr. John Gabaya,” he said.
Wike cited an area council chairman as evidence that the shift had already begun. “He is of PDP, is it not correct? But you see, he has come out mobilizing for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, mobilizing for Senator Philip Tanimu Aduda,” he said.
He assured the gathering that campaign logistics would be provided. “All the logistics for our campaign, you will have it. Everything you will have it,” he said.
Wike also disclosed the task he has been handed by the party. “I was even given two assignments: to coordinate for Rivers State, to make sure Rivers State is delivered to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and to make sure FCT is delivered to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. And with the grace of God, FCT is for Tinubu, and Rivers is for Tinubu. We must take this election very, very seriously. And that, and that, and that everybody must take it seriously and come out with our Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and vote for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
Wike took a swipe at Peter Obi’s supporters. “You can vote for Peter Obi as president of social media,” he said.
He asked the young people why they are attracted to those he described as pretenders. “Why are you fond of people who are fake? People who aren’t genuine?” he remarked, adding, “We would rather have a president who will tell us plainly that this is white when it is white.”
In defense of the fuel subsidy removal, Wike noted that although every past president had described it as a scam, none had taken action. “No president ever came along and said fuel subsidy was not a scam. Every president said it was a scam. But none of them had the courage to say it would end. Then it happened on May 29th, 2023, when he declared, ‘Subsidy, you are gone.’
“We agree that the cost of things is a bit high. By the time the reform is stabilized, the cost of living will come down. That is the sacrifice of removing the fuel subsidy,” he said.
Wike listed what he claimed Nigerians had benefited from. “Nobody goes to the bank to get a loan,” he said regarding the governors, adding, “In the past three years, has there been any strike in the university? Has there been any strike at all? Let us simply speak the truth. There has been no strike whatsoever. We cannot claim that this administration has resolved every problem, no. But in the three years since they came in, they have resolved a great many problems,” he said.
Regarding the FCT, the minister promised the indigenes a place in the administration.↻ “Let me assure you today that in the next FCT appointment, you will be included, because you represent a significant portion of Nigerians, and so there should be inclusivity as far as the FCT is concerned,” he said.
He stated that Tinubu had addressed the frustration of career civil servants in the territory. “That is why today you have a head of service; you have a civil service commission, which is in charge of employing Abuja people. We have permanent secretaries now,” he said.
The former Rivers state governor said the president also approved a women’s secretariat and secretaries for youth matters. “We do not have a youth secretary before. Today, we have secretaries that take care of youth matters. That is inclusivity.
“Today, we have built twelve new police stations with residences in them, where the police people will stay in order to improve our security architecture. Today, six area councils we have can boast of roads going to their various areas. It was not like that before,” he said.
Wike mentioned that the Apo-Karshi Road, awarded in 2010, would be commissioned soon. “By this November, we will commission that road. This December alone, we are going to commission not less than six projects in Amac alone. Our campaign is our project. Our campaign is to tell you what we have done. Our campaign is that if you give us the support, we will do more,” he said.
