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My support for President has earned me 20m enemies – Wike
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Says ICC booked till 2027
By Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday, June 26, officially commissioned the new Kugbo Bus and International Taxi Terminal, a major milestone in Nigeria’s transportation infrastructure development.
Represented by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the President expressed profound gratitude and emphasised the administration’s commitment to modernising public mobility as a catalyst for national progress.
“I, President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a stalwart of the All Progressives Congress, stand before you today to commission a landmark project, the new Kugbo Bus and International Taxi Terminal,” Tinubu declared.
He recalled the recent commissioning of the Mabushi Terminal on June 17, 2025, describing it as the first of its kind in the nation’s capital and a model for the country. He underscored the administration’s focus on high-impact transportation infrastructure, stating, “No nation around the world has been recorded to have made any noticeable progress without modernisation and expansion of its critical public mobility and public utilities.”
Highlighting the government’s broader Renewed Hope Agenda, Tinubu said, “My solemn promise to rebuild and revitalise our nation’s infrastructure, enhance the lives of Nigerians, create an environment where security and efficiency become the order of the day, are being fulfilled, one significant step at a time.”
He added, “The Kugbo Terminal, alongside Mabushi and upcoming terminals such as the one at Eagle Square in Abuja’s Central Business District, is designed to meet global standards of sustainable urban development.
“These terminals meet global practices, meet global principles of sustainable urban development in the area of transportation, and automatically erase these ugly experiences of chaotic public transportation in our capital city, previously fraught with challenges,” the President noted.
President Tinubu stressed the terminal’s role in transforming urban transit, saying, “The terminals align with development goals of transit-oriented cities with smart mobility, compact living spaces, parking management, winning support of stakeholders and citizens, and ultimately transforming lives.”
Addressing public concerns about safety and disorder in transportation, the President assured that the new system would eliminate the risks associated with informal transport. “With your compliance, you will no longer suffer from one-chance by the roadside,” he said.
“Here and now, you will find an organised system where vehicles and drivers are properly identified and registered, significantly reducing the risk associated with normal informal transportation.”
The terminal is equipped with advanced security features, including comprehensive CCTV surveillance, to ensure commuter safety. “The presence of advanced security features, including comprehensive CCTV surveillance, ensures that your journey begins and ends in a secure environment,” Tinubu added.
He praised the Minister and the Federal Capital Territory Administration team for their efficient use of resources in delivering the project, stating, “I must, therefore, once again commend the Federal Capital Territory Minister, and his team at the FCTA for yet again doing my government and all of us proud by judiciously utilising scarce public resources towards initiating and completing within record time this iconic public transportation infrastructure.”
The President also thanked the National Assembly for their support, which has been crucial in fulfilling the government’s promises. “To our lawmakers in the National Assembly, I thank you for the support given to my government so far, which has enabled us to fulfil and renew the promises to Nigerian citizens,” he said.
Calling on Abuja residents to embrace the new facility, Tinubu urged, “This facility is yours. I ask you to utilise it responsibly, to embrace the organised system it offers, to cooperate with the management to ensure its smooth operations. Let us collectively reject the dangers of patronising unauthorised roadside parks. Your safety is paramount, and this government has provided a safe and secure alternative for you.”
President Tinubu concluded by reiterating his administration’s commitment to infrastructure and national development: “This commissioning is but one piece of a larger mosaic. We remain dedicated to continuing our investments in infrastructure, continuing our investment in the total development of the FCT and indeed the entire nation, ensuring that every Nigerian has access to safe, efficient, and modern public services.”
Earlier, at the 11th day of the 17-day project commissioning drive, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike openly declared that his unwavering support for President Tinubu has earned him over 20 million enemies.
He humorously noted the challenges his support for the President has brought him: “Even though your support also has cost me a lot of problems, a lot of enemies, but I prefer it. Continue to support me, let me have enemies. With you alone, there are more than 20 million enemies,” Wike said, underscoring the political cost of backing the President’s administration.
Wike framed his role as one of standing firm with Tinubu despite opposition, emphasising that the President’s achievements in transforming Abuja justify the backlash: “Mr President, you’re doing something, which has changed the landscape of Abuja, for Abuja to compete like all other cities in the world… Any right-thinking person who has conscience would not say that Mr President has not done a lot as far as Abuja is concerned.”
He further vowed to continue supporting the President’s agenda, even if it means facing hostility: “I now must make sure I continue to give them high blood pressure. As they continue to be in pain, it’ll be sweetening us, and that’s now my job. I’ll be happy, moving around, and laughing every time, and they’ll be there shouting, fighting, and killing themselves.”
He acknowledged the critical role of the National Assembly in passing and approving the FCT budget, which has been fully implemented.
Highlighting the progress made, he praised the contractor, Planet Projects, for their capacity and work on multiple terminals: “The Managing Director of this company, Planet Projects, in fact, I never knew that he had that kind of capacity and he was taking three of the Mabushi, the Kugbo, and the Central Business Area, which will also be commissioned before the end of this year. I want to sincerely thank you.”
Wike urged Nigerians to recognise the President’s achievements regardless of political affiliations: “Mr President, when you go inside there, you’ll be able to say that, look, I think people should be able to, I mean, even if I don’t like you, if you are doing something good, I appreciate it. Mr President, you’re doing something, which has changed the landscape of Abuja, for Abuja to compete like all other cities in the world.”
He challenged critics to come forward if they could claim credit for the ongoing projects: “I said yesterday (Wednesday), if there’s any previous government that did this and we are claiming it, please, you owe the public, come out and say, we are the ones who did it, they are just claiming it. Let anybody come out and say, we are the ones who did it, and they are just claiming it. I thought anybody since yesterday would have, nobody has said anything.”
On the importance of the new bus terminals, Wike emphasised safety and organisation: “Like the director of programmes has said, you don’t need to be waiting on the road so that you don’t have a problem of one-chance. You don’t know the vehicle that will convey you. Here, you come into this place. You are sure of the vehicle, you are sure of the driver… If anything happens, we will be able to know that this passenger entered so-and-so vehicle, and who is the driver of that vehicle is also so-and-so.”
He also made clear the terminal’s management would be privatised to ensure sustainability: “Government is not a big business person. This will not be run by the transport secretariat. No, no, no. It will be managed by private persons who have the idea to run this kind of business. And they pay us revenue… If you allow government, civil servants, politicians to do this, I can tell you in two weeks’ time, it will die.”
Wike further praised the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre for its success and high demand, noting it has been booked through 2027: “As I speak to you, that conference centre has been booked now till 2027. No space.”
He concluded with a candid reflection on leadership and sincerity, urging Nigerians to see beyond political rhetoric: “Why do we deceive Nigerians? Why can’t we tell ourselves the simple truth? What you preach is not what you practice… These are the kind of things that I tell Nigerians, look, don’t allow people to deceive you. People who are preaching that they care for you, they don’t care for you, they don’t think about you. They only try to use you to climb.”
Wike reaffirmed his commitment to the President and the FCT’s development: “We will continue to support Mr President and thank him for giving us the opportunity to be part of this success story… Whether you like it, you don’t like it, the truth must be told. If you don’t know how Mr President is working, come to Abuja. Take it from here, you will know that the President is doing very, very well.”