The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu will be difficult to defeat in the 2027 presidential election, citing the administration’s infrastructure projects and other achievements as evidence of its performance.
The minister said the projects being executed across Abuja would provide the All Progressives Congress (APC) with strong campaign arguments ahead of the polls.
Wike made the statement on Tuesday while inspecting ongoing road construction projects in the FCT, including the Inner Southern Expressway, Southern Parkway and infrastructure development in Kaura District.
The minister said the progress recorded on the projects demonstrated the administration’s commitment to development and would strengthen its appeal to voters.
According to Wike, the visible infrastructure improvements in Abuja would make it difficult for residents to deny the benefits of the Tinubu administration. He maintained that the government had sufficient achievements to present to Nigerians rather than relying solely on political promises.
The minister expressed satisfaction with the progress of the inspected projects, noting that two major infrastructure projects were scheduled for handover in December, while another contractor had assured that a project would be completed by December 15.
He said the administration had established targets for delivering major projects before the 2027 general elections and was working to meet the deadlines.
He added that the progress made so far had strengthened his confidence in the administration’s performance, noting that the projects would serve as evidence of its achievements during the campaign.
Wike also defended his support for Tinubu, saying national development should not be restricted by political party affiliations. He said he was pleased to identify with the president and encouraged Nigerians who were interested in the country’s progress to support the administration.
The minister further defended his controversial pledge to reward councillors with N10 million each for delivering their respective wards for the APC in the 2027 presidential election, insisting that the offer was not vote-buying.
He argued that the promised money was intended to reward political commitment and mobilisation rather than induce voters to support a particular candidate.
Wike compared the pledge to encouraging a child to achieve academic excellence by promising a reward for obtaining a first-class degree.
“Only trained journalists or reasonable persons will understand the difference between a reward and a bribe,” he said.
He maintained that councillors were expected to demonstrate commitment to the party’s electoral success before receiving the promised reward.
The FCT minister also challenged opposition parties to identify anyone preventing them from campaigning in Abuja, insisting that he was unaware of any complaints about denied access to campaign venues.
Wike cited the recent political rally in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and called for opposition parties to be given access to the same stadium used by the APC for its campaign activities.
He said providing campaign venues was the responsibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other relevant authorities.
The minister also criticised what he described as inconsistent reactions to judicial decisions, urging political actors to respect court judgments regardless of whether they favoured their interests.
Wike reiterated that his immediate responsibility was to showcase the Tinubu administration’s achievements and mobilise support for the president’s re-election, expressing confidence that the infrastructure projects in Abuja would influence voters’ decisions in 2027.
