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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has stressed that the Bola Tinubu administration is “for the first time” deliberately identifying with the indigenous people, describing the elevation of traditional rulers and the granting of Certificates of Occupancy to indigenous communities as a long‑overdue recognition of their sacrifices.
Speaking during a media parley in Abuja on Friday, April 3, 2026, Wike said the Tinubu administration’s deliberate inclusion of FCT indigenes in appointments and land‑tenure arrangements “is exactly what the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has always preached: that no segment of the citizenry should be left behind.”
“Inclusion means that the sons and daughters of the soil are not treated as second‑class citizens, especially when others come and take land with Certificates of Occupancy and turn it into wealth,” he said. “The President is saying: if others come and benefit, why should the people who were here even before the capital was created not enjoy the same privileges?”
“Indigenes deserve the same privileges”
Wike traced the new policy to the issue of dignity and historical justice, insisting that the FCT’s indigenous communities should not be “penalised” for hosting the capital.
“Everybody comes here and gets land with C of O, what about those who were here before it was made a capital? What is their own fate? Must they suffer because here is the capital? Must they not benefit also? Mr. President said others come and collect land and we must give you land with C of O so that you can enjoy it. After all, C of O is given to other people who come here, they sell it and make millions of Naira. What about those who own here? Why can’t you also give them that opportunity? That is why the people are so happy with Mr. President,” Wike stated.
He added that the PDP had long campaigned for the formal recognition of indigenous interests in the FCT, but that this was the first time a government was operationalising the principle through concrete appointments and land‑title intervention.
“This is the first time that any government has tried to identify with the indigenes of FCT in terms of appointments. Mention who from Abuja who have become a Minister before now. The Former Head of Service of the FCTA is from Abuja. That is why it will be difficult for anybody to say the people of Abuja will not appreciate what Mr. President is doing for them,” he said.
From the PDP angle, Wike presented the Tinubu administration’s infrastructure push not as a partisan project but as a validation of the opposition party’s longstanding calls for rural inclusion and decentralisation.
He disclosed that the FCT Administration is aggressively providing roads and water infrastructure in satellite towns to open up rural areas, saying such interventions “mirror what the PDP has always advocated: that development must reach the bathroom corner of the nation, not only the city centre.”
“The PDP believes that the federal capital cannot be seen as a ‘foreign’ enclave where the original people are forgotten. We support the relocation of indigenous people from Kpaduma village near Guzape to the Wasa District, where the government is providing the necessary infrastructure, because it is a structural way of correcting historical marginalisation,” he said.
On the Karu urbanisation project, Wike assured residents that the work is on track and will be inaugurated during President Tinubu’s third‑year anniversary, describing his frequent site visits as part of a broader commitment to accountability that the PDP has similarly preached.
Wike also highlighted the administration’s focus on human capital, saying that contracts have been awarded for the renovation of over 200 schools and that the health sector is receiving similar prioritisation.
“This is the kind of governance the PDP has always demanded: that you don’t just talk about fixing the power and the roads, but you fix the classroom and the clinic,” he said.
On security, he revealed that the FCT Administration has been working closely with security agencies to dismantle “One Chance” robbery syndicates and that the upcoming new bus terminals will serve as a structural brake on illegal transport operators and car theft.
“Crime cannot be completely eradicated in any society, but the PDP believes that the government must always provide the security outfits with the tools they need. The new bus terminals are not just about transport; they are about creating a regulated environment where crime finds fewer hiding places,” he said.
Wike turned to the national political landscape, using the successful hosting of the PDP’s 2026 national convention to underline that the party is not “planting” him to destroy it, but is instead relying on him to enforce legal and constitutional discipline.
He dismissed insinuations that he is an agent of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) within the PDP, insisting that his leadership is “guided by the law and the party’s constitution.”
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“From the PDP perspective, we are not here to indulge in internal theatrics. We are here to ensure that the party remains strong, united, and constitutionally grounded. The recent convention is evidence that the PDP can still gather its elders, its leaders, and its youth to take difficult decisions together,” he said.
On President Tinubu, Wike reiterated his personal support for the Renewed Hope Agenda and confirmed that he will back Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
“I support President Tinubu because I believe in the Renewed Hope Agenda. The PDP is an opposition party, but that does not mean every member must march in lockstep against the President. Our party is big enough to hold diverse views, as long as we are not in breach of the constitution,” he said.
Addressing the recent security incidents in Plateau State, Wike cautioned against politicising the tragedy and urged Nigerians to recognise that security is a collective responsibility.
“The President is the Commander‑in‑Chief, but he does not preside over the various states. If leaders at the state level are not doing their own, then the federal government cannot be made to bear the entire blame. The PDP believes that state governors must be held accountable for the security situation in their domains,” he said.
He praised Tinubu’s empathy in visiting Plateau but urged governors and local leaders to step up coordination with the military, police, and community‑based security structures.
As he closed the media chat, Wike again appealed to residents to pay their taxes to support infrastructure and social projects, stressing that federal allocations alone cannot carry the FCT.
“The PDP’s message is simple: government must be accountable, but citizens must also be responsible. If we want our roads, schools, hospitals and rural areas to be developed, we must be willing to pay what is due. The indigenes of the FCT are beginning to see returns; now the rest of the country must demand the same fairness,” he said.
