The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has rejected any role in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 presidential campaign, stressing that he is not a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Wike said he has no interest in serving as Director-General or holding any other prominent position in Tinubu’s campaign council, insisting that his focus is on delivering projects in the FCT and ensuring political success in Rivers State.
Wike, who spoke on Saturday while inspecting ongoing infrastructure projects in Abuja, said he was not a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and had no interest in becoming the Director-General or holding any other prominent position in Tinubu’s campaign.
“I am not a member of the APC,” Wike said.
The minister argued that holding a campaign leadership position should not be regarded as a measure of political success, noting that some former campaign directors-general failed to deliver their home states to the presidential candidates they supported.
He cited former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, former Senate President Bukola Saraki, former Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal and former Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong as examples.
According to Wike, Amaechi served as Director-General of Muhammadu Buhari’s 2015 presidential campaign but failed to deliver Rivers State to the APC candidate.
He said Amaechi also could not deliver the state to Buhari in 2019 despite again serving in a prominent campaign role.
Wike further noted that Saraki and Tambuwal failed to deliver Kwara and Sokoto states respectively while playing key roles in Atiku Abubakar’s presidential campaigns, while Lalong, who headed Tinubu’s 2023 campaign, also lost Plateau State.
“I don’t want to lose my state. I will be in my state. I have two states, FCT and Rivers State. What’s important is, are you able to deliver those two states?” he said.
Wike maintained that politics was fundamentally local and that politicians should be judged by their ability to produce tangible results in their constituencies.
“It’s not about being the DG. If you’re a DG, you don’t win your state for yourself. What is the success of the DG?
“Every politics is local. If you cannot deliver president in your state, so how would you say you want election?” he said.
The former Rivers governor also dismissed the emphasis on campaign activities, saying his preferred form of campaigning was through visible projects and improvements in the lives of citizens.
“I say what is campaign? See the campaign. Campaign is what have you done for the people? What has the government got to show? It’s not about promises. It’s about showing action, that things indeed will have a positive impact in the lives of the people,” Wike said.
He disclosed that more than 10 major projects in the FCT were expected to be completed before the 2027 elections.
During the inspection, Wike expressed confidence that the Apo-Karshi Road would be completed by November, based on the pace of work by the contractor, SCC.
He also said the contractor handling the Bwari-Kubwa Road had assured the FCT Administration that the project would be completed and handed over by December.
Wike meanwhile announced tougher enforcement against commercial transport operators who violate designated bus terminal regulations.
He warned taxi drivers and other commercial operators against picking up passengers outside approved locations, saying vehicles used in breach of the regulations would be impounded.
“We will start a small level of madness in us, and then they will understand that they must obey the rules,” he said.
The minister also disclosed that the FCT Administration had begun reclaiming green areas allegedly converted into car dealerships and other commercial activities.
He blamed some civil servants for issuing allocation papers that allegedly facilitated the conversion of land reserved for parks and other public purposes.
“We have already started,” Wike said, adding that a task force had been established to recover the affected areas.
He warned operators occupying such spaces to vacate them or risk having their vehicles removed and possibly auctioned.
Wike clarified that approvals for buildings and other developments were handled by the relevant departments and agencies of the FCT Administration rather than by the minister personally.
Responding to criticism of his performance, the minister said his record should be assessed based on completed projects.
He announced plans to publish details of projects inherited from previous administrations, including those executed between 1999 and 2007 under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, as well as projects from the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari administrations.
He said the FCT Administration would also publish projects awarded under the current government so Nigerians could compare the records.
“We’re going to publish the projects that we inherited and completed, and we’ll also publish projects awarded by this present administration. So Nigerians will see for themselves,” Wike said.
