President Bola Tinubu on Sunday showered encomiums on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for his sterling performance, expressing the hope that such good works will translate to a victory for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and not the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which the Minister still officially belongs to, in the FCT election of 2027.
Tinubu spoke at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, when Wike led a delegation of prominent FCT residents, including the clergy, judicial officers, mandate secretaries, area council chairmen, political office holders, royal fathers, and heads of security agencies, among others, on a traditional Sallah homage to mark the end of Ramadan fasting and the Eid-el-Fitr holiday.
In his remarks, President Tinubu described the FCT Minister as “Mr. Infrastructure” and listed some of the various initiatives and projects executed by the administration under Wike’s leadership, stressing that they have translated into better lives for Abuja residents, for which he (Tinubu) remains grateful.
While appreciating the caliber of persons in the delegation, Tinubu said: “I can see the diversity of men and women here. I must thank the Honourable Minister of FCT. It’s worth it. It is nothing other than a privilege to be the landlord of every one of us in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory.
“And when we started, he came up with a lot of good ideas to liberate the bureaucracy, bring forward-looking, progressive thinking to the administration, and give opportunities to many of you that would have still been hindered by property rights.
“The independent Civil Service Commission solution and all of that we discussed provide opportunities for upward mobility and promotions that are consistent with the civil service structure, the area councils’ structure, and the indiscriminate development in the face of dwindling resources.
“I remember the day Nyesom Wike came to me and said, ‘Please, take us out of this problem of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) so that I can do more work and achieve more.’ Then I said, ‘Okay, tell me what you’re about to do.’
“And he presented it, and I threw in my own political jab: ‘Would that give me any opportunity for my party (APC) to win the election in FCT?’ I said, ‘I know where you are coming from—your own party (PDP) or my party. If this thing goes too much in your own favor, you will lose your job.’ Then he said, ‘Okay, we settle that, Oga.’
“And things started changing rapidly, and I started looking at the opening up of the rural areas, abandoned projects, and the residence of the Vice President, which had been abandoned for years, coming alive. The health centers are being rehabilitated. The health facilities for the residents of FCT are being upgraded. Our teachers and schools are being rehabilitated, and buildings are being furnished. Thank you, Wike.”
