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• Defends his monitoring of FCT polls, says he has delegated authority
• Insists Ireti Kingibe won’t return to Senate in 2027
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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Monday defended his ongoing support for President Bola Tinubu while lambasting his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for failing to evolve.
At a media parley in Abuja, Wike said his stance should not surprise anyone, having voiced it openly in 2023. “I told you in 2023 that even as a PDP man, I was going to work for the president. That is what I did because I believe, and rightly so, that the other parties did not present serious candidates,” he said.
He sharpened his critique of the PDP’s internal woes. “I have said several times that, as far as I am concerned, my party appears not to have learnt. That is why I said I was going to support Mr President for a second term,” he said. Wike also highlighted what he described as the party’s snub. “As a minister, my party did not consult me on the candidates they were going to present.”
His allegiance, he clarified, transcends party lines. “I said I would support candidates who support Mr President for his re-election. It does not matter which party they belong to. If they support Mr President, then of course I will pitch my tent with them,” he said.
Turning to the 21 February 2025 FCT area council elections — where the APC won five of six chairmanship seats (Abuja Municipal, Abaji, Bwari, Kwali, Kuje) and the PDP took Gwagwalada — Wike described elections as holistic processes. “Election is a process. It begins with the nomination of candidates, proceeds through campaigns, and then culminates in voting. It is not just about a particular day,” he said.
He defended pre-poll movement restrictions from 8 p.m., which he said were approved by the president for safety. “By the approval of the president, movement was restricted from 8 p.m. for security reasons. It was to ensure that people did not import troublemakers into the city to cause a crisis,” he said.
Dismissing disenfranchisement claims, he pointed out, “The election was on Saturday, and voting took place from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. You cannot say people were not allowed to vote. That is not correct.”
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On his polling unit visits, Wike invoked his mandate. “The power has been delegated to me. A certain amount of authority has been given to me to act on behalf of the President.” He rejected rigging allegations. “I was not on the ballot. I never told anyone not to vote for any candidate. All I said was that I would support candidates who support Mr President.”
Embracing his role unapologetically, he declared, “Let me make this clear: I am a politician. I chose to be a politician, and politics is about winning.” He refuted voter suppression claims. “What is disenfranchisement? If a party says it is not prepared for an election, does that stop others from voting? Disenfranchisement means people were not allowed to vote, and that was not the case.”
Wike advised dissatisfied parties to seek legal redress. “If anyone is dissatisfied, they should go to the tribunal. Let the tribunal cancel the election and order a rerun if necessary. The outcome will not be different.”
Wike also boasted that he would defeat any presidential rival, claiming that Nigerians’ enduring affection would deliver him a massive victory.
“Nigerians still love me, and if I run for president, they will vote for me massively,” the FCT minister declared. He highlighted his easy rapport with ordinary citizens, insisting that his record as former Rivers State governor and current FCT minister speaks for itself.
Wike added that even a rerun of the recent Abuja council elections would still see his loyalists triumph.
The minister further reaffirmed his bold prediction that Senator Ireti Kingibe will not return as FCT representative in the 2027 elections.
He stood firm on his claim, first made over a year ago, vowing no change of heart despite ongoing clashes with the Labour Party lawmaker over FCT governance and personal rifts.
The minister, who has publicly dared Kingibe to run again, promised to mobilise grassroots support to defeat her. “This is my territory,” he declared, dismissing her previous victory as a fluke unlikely to be repeated.
