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Tag: Wike

  • Wike to detractors: your successors will betray you

    Wike to detractors: your successors will betray you

    • Says he doesn’t need governor to mobilise support for Tinubu in Rivers

    • Commissions Radio Station for Renewed Hope Ambassadors ahead 2027

    Federal Capital Territory (FFCT) Minister Nyesom Wike hit out yesterday at elected public officers  supporting treachery and at the same time seeking  to enthrone their successors.

    Mentioning no names, he said, such officers, whatever their position may be, would experience betrayal.

    “Whether you’re a senator, rep member, minister, or governor and you support betrayers, people will also betray you in life,” he said during the inauguration of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors headquarters in the state.

     Wike added that, “Every second term governor who has an ambition to put a successor and is supporting betrayal, you’ll never survive it. From the day your successor comes in…my own took so many months… your own will start immediately the person is inaugurated.”

    Wike, who is locked in another round of face off with his successor Governor Siminalayi Fubara, reaffirmed his commitment and that of his political associates and supporters to the reelection of President Bola Tinubu next year.

    He said the people of Rivers have no need for a governor to mobilise support for the President in 2027.

    He commended the Coordinator of Rivers State Renewed Hope Ambassadors, Desmond Akawor, for his mobilisation drive and said Rivers would work massively for the reelection of the President.

    Wike said: “Desmond Akawor, you have shown enough capacity to mobilise, you have moved to all the nooks and crannies of Rivers to talk about Tinubu for President in 2027.

    “I have said before that Rivers State is a no-go area, and I want to say again that this State is totally for Tinubu. We have made sure that all the 23 local governments and zonal coordinators were inaugurated. That day, Nigerians all over the world watched that Rivers State is a no-go area.

     “Today, the Renewed Hope Ambassadors Coordinator has also invited us to commission some vehicles that the headquarters of the Secretariat will use and to commission the Secretariat itself.This is the first of its kind in this part of the country.

     “I challenge anybody, let them come to Rivers State and learn.Our commitment is not by mouth, our commitment is not by newspaper; ours is by showing, that yes indeed, we are working for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    READ ALSO: PDP: Wike gets upper hand again

     “We don’t need to have a governor to mobilize for Mr. President, we don’t need.We have all it takes to be on our own; we have senators, assembly people, council chairmen, National Assembly members, party chairmen of APC and PDP.

     “We have mobilized ourselves to make commitment.If you say you are supporting somebody, there is no need for the person to bring his resources, you have to make commitment and this is what our leaders have done.

     “Let me once again thank all of you for your commitment, you are the envy of every other state and they are watching you all over the place.

     “In 2023, we came out without anybody pressuring us.Without anybody influencing us, we took a decision.To the glory of God that decision is what we are enjoying today, and whether anybody likes it or not, 2027 when the President has shown interest that he will run, we have no choice than to continue to support Mr President.

     “Mr. coordinator, you have to start preparing to inaugurate ward and unit coordinators, it is very important, we must also take it down to the units, to go and talk to our people to continue to support Mr. President, go and see the situation room, go and see the radio station, we are battle ready, there is nothing we can not do because unity is strength.”

     Earlier, Akawor, while welcoming the FCT Minister and people of Rivers, praised the Minister for offering leadership to the Rivers State Renewed Hope Ambassadors.

    Akawor said he had placed people to man the Renewed Hope Ambassadors movement in all the 23 local governments of Rivers.

  • PDP: Wike gets upper hand again

    PDP: Wike gets upper hand again

    Nyesom Wike, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, has an uncanny ability to stay on the right side of the law in nearly all his litigations within and against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Unlike his opponents in the party, many of whom are not lawyers, his law education appears to confer some advantages on him. On January 30, a Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan voided the party’s November 15-16, 2025 national convention held in Ibadan. In the judgement, Justice Uche Agomoh held that last year’s convention was conducted in disobedience to two court orders, insisting that factional national chairman Tanimu Turaki’s effort to secure legitimacy for both the convention and the executives produced by the convention was an exercise in futility. Justice Agomoh was of course referring to the October 31, 2025 decision by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja halting the convention, and the November 14, 2025 decision by Justice Peter Lifu ordering the suspension of the convention in a case brought by former Jigawa State governor Sule Lamido complaining against exclusion.

    The Seyi Makinde-led PDP inanely conducted the convention citing a November 4, 2025 ex-parte order issued by an Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan and presided over by Justice Ladiran Akintola. By early November, the dispute over the convention had virtually resolved itself through the two Federal High Court judgements, but the Makinde faction had spent too much to make a U-turn of fail to clutch at a straw by procuring the ex-parte order. But responding to the faction’s adamantine resolve to hold the convention, Mr Wike had sarcastically retorted that the intransigent party members were on a jamboree. The former Rivers governor, it turned out, was right, regardless of the causticity of his remarks. While the Makinde faction still continues to talk tough, Mr Turaki has sensibly headed to the Court of Appeal to see whether his faction could secure legitimacy. He won’t get his wish. Mr Wike, like him or hate his guts, has woven a tight web around the legal neophytes of the Makinde faction, so tight they can’t even wriggle. They are already suffocating, in contrast to the tough jurisprudential talk by the Forum of PDP chairmen who assert their determination to forge ahead notwithstanding court judgements.

    Last Thursday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) rubbed it in on the Makinde faction by proceeding to recognise the Wike faction. At the quarterly meeting between the Commission and leaders of political parties, Caretaker Chairman Abdulrahman Mohammed and Caretaker National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, both of the Wike faction, were invited. Shutting out the Makinde faction executives may not sound the death knell to their leadership of the party, especially considering that they had lodged an appeal, but legal experts are not optimistic about a reversal of fortune for them. Leading PDP chieftains anticipated this conundrum long before the November 2025 dates for the convention were fixed. All warnings, however, fell on deaf ears. Now, with the neutering of the convention and the enthronement of the Wike faction in the PDP saddle, estranged PDP leaders will either have to swallow their pride and begin to deal and negotiate with Mr Wike or abandon the party altogether. It is not certain what kind of suicide they might opt for.

    What is beyond controversy, however, is that because of his legal fleetness, Mr Wike has regained a party that former vice president Atiku Abubakar and his cohorts tried to snatch, after first leaving it for dead in 2019. To regain control of the opposition party, the FCT minister had played his politics right by declining to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) that made him a minister, staying the course knowing full well that Alhaji Atiku and his crowd were feckless and inattentive, and lending the party character, style and purpose. Party chieftains like Bode George may find Mr Wike somewhat objectionable, and former senate president and Kwara governor Bukola Saraki may be unnerved by the FCT minister’s mannerisms; but both of them, and perhaps many more, recognise that Mr Wike’s doggedness, combativeness, and charisma were best suited to help the party survive the blitz that swept over it in the past few years.

    Many times this column had advised the PDP to rebuild and reform and prepare itself for the 2031 polls, but the urgency of regaining power in the short run had always transcended the sensibleness of reclaiming its leading position in the medium to long run. It was that urgency, plus the indecipherable desire of Mr Makinde to run for the presidency in 2027, that led to the serial blunders of the past few months. Mr Wike, despite his flaws, not to talk of the collapse of his ambition in the 2023 elections, suspected that getting the PDP to root for 2027 was a far-fetched proposition. He had labored to stay in the PDP against his better judgement when Alhaji Atiku took the presidential ticket, but once the chance of a southerner winning the presidency arose in late 2022 and early 2023, his instincts led him to offer support to another candidate across party divides. He seems to believe that abandoning the self-sustaining logic that took a southerner to the presidency would be fatal to everything he stands for. If he appears to treacherously keep the PDP in subjection, it is less because he loathed his party than because he senses that it would be dangerous to fiddle with the logic that propelled Bola Tinubu to the presidency.

    Read Also: Summit targets $500m investment in Nigeria

    In the months ahead, Mr Wike will continue to bask in the legal euphoria his court victory has rightly gifted his faction. His faction will win over many state chairmen who had backed the Makinde faction because they initially thought it was impossible for the pendulum to swing in any other direction. The Wike faction has set a timetable for the PDP national convention; it will follow it scrupulously, probably with a few amendments. They know it is inconceivable for the courts to backpedal, and they know that even if the other stray PDP faithful were to return home, they would be incapable or agile enough to upset the Wike apple cart. The Wike faction will consequently produce the next PDP executives. But whether the executives and party members will be united enough to queue behind his ginger straddle on the national scene or not is hard to fathom. For the many elected lawmakers and the few governors left in the party, some of whom are too galled by the politics of desperation of Alhaji Atiku’s African Democratic Congress (ADC), it will be a relief to finally reclaim the PDP, get their election forms properly and legally signed, and compete for offices, particularly at the lower levels.

    The survival of the PDP is not really in doubt. It will bounce back after 2027, and will probably give a good account of itself before and during the 2031 elections. If Mr Wike survives the Rivers scare personified by the flighty Siminalayi Fubara, and if he continues to play his politics calculatingly and with less agitation and hysteria, he will not only hold on to Rivers, he will continue to find significant relevance in the Tinubu cabinet, where he is a performer, and will ultimately offer PDP the leadership it badly desires in the years ahead. While he is growing into a fairly endowed political tactician, his triumphs have so far seemed entirely fortuitous. To hone his political skills, and to continue to matter in the PDP in Rivers and nationally, he will have to eschew the impulsiveness and naivety that propel his choices, whether of succession at the state and party levels or his options at the national level. He has successfully encircled his remaining enemies in the PDP, after first indirectly getting rid of his more unappeasable foes. If his image is not to be sullied, and if his influence is to last for as long as he dreams, he must now find value in making more friends than enemies, being less brash and imperious, and developing the immense capacity to tolerate dissenters as much as his brittle image can sustain. But in all, Mr Wike has so much to be grateful for, for no politician in these parts and in recent years has so consummately run with the hare and hunted with the hounds.

  • Rivers people don’t need governor to back Tinubu in 2027, says Wike

    Rivers people don’t need governor to back Tinubu in 2027, says Wike

    Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, on Saturday said the people of Rivers State do not need a governor to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 election.

    Wike made the remark in Port Harcourt while commissioning the headquarters of the Rivers State Renewed Hope Ambassadors, which houses Majority FM 89.5, a situation room, office facilities and buses for the organisation.

    He commended the coordinator of the Rivers State Renewed Hope Ambassadors, Desmond Akawor, for his mobilisation drive, adding that the state would work massively for the re-election of the President.

    He said: “Desmond Akawor, you have shown enough capacity to mobilize, you have moved to all the nocks and crannies of Rivers to talk about Tinubu for President in 2027.

    “I have said before that Rivers State is a no go area, and I want to say again that this State is totally for Tinubu. We have made sure that all the 23 local governments and zonal coordinators were inaugurated, that day Nigerians all over the world watched that Rivers State is a no go area.

    “Today, the Renewed Hope Ambassadors Coordinator has also invited us to commission some vehicles that the headquarters of the Secretariat will use and to commission the Secretariat itself, this is the first of its kind in this part of the country.

    “I challenge anybody, let them come to Rivers State and learn, our commitment is not by mouth, our commitment is not by newspaper, ours is by showing, that yes indeed, we are working for the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    “We don’t need to have a governor to mobilize for Mr President, we don’t need, we have all it takes to be on our own, we have senators, assembly people, council chairman, National Assembly members, party chairmen of APC and PDP, we have mobilized ourselves to make commitment, if you say you are supporting somebody, there is no need for the person to bring his resources, you have to make commitment and this is what our leaders have done.

    “Let me once again thank all of you for your commitment, you are the envy of every other state and they are watching you all over the place.

    “In 2023, we came out without anybody pressuring us, without anybody influencing us, we took a decision, to the glory of God that decision is what we are enjoying today, and whether anybody likes it or not, 2027 when the President has shown interest that he will run, we have no choice than to continue to support Mr President.

    “Mr coordinator, you have to start preparing to inaugurate ward and unit coordinators, it is very important, we must also take it down to the units, to go and talk to our people to continue to support Mr President, go and see the situation room, go and see the radio station, we are battle ready, there is nothing we can not do because unity is strength”.

    Earlier, Ambassador Desmond Akawor, while welcoming the FCT Minister and people of Rivers, praised the Minister for offering leadership to the Rivers State Renewed Hope Ambassadors.

    Akawor, who disclosed that he has placed people to man the Renewed Hope Ambassadors movement in all the 23 local governments of Rivers State, also made clarification on the style of politics of the Minister, calling it AI politics.

  • Wike threatens to sack STDD coordinator over waste buildup in FCT suburbs

    Wike threatens to sack STDD coordinator over waste buildup in FCT suburbs

    The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Friday threatened to sack the Coordinator of the Satellite Towns Development Department (STDD), Abdulkadir Zulkiflu, over the failure to evacuate waste that has taken over strategic roads in the suburbs.

    Wike said Zulkiflu’s appointment would be terminated if the waste is not cleared between February 9 and 10.

    The minister noted that this was not the first time he had taken a tough stance on waste management in the FCT.

    In 2025, Wike had warned contractors handling waste disposal that excuses would not be tolerated, stressing that payments would be based strictly on performance.

    Wike said, “If I see that refuse from Orozo down to Apo-Karshi by Monday or Tuesday, February 9th-10th, your job will be terminated. Whatever you can do, make sure this is handled. Look at this, it’s very embarrassing. Those places are no longer villages; development has taken over the whole area. Nobody will accept that.”

    Speaking after an inspection tour of some road projects, Friday, the Minister said president Bola Tinubu is doing massive road work in satellite towns, not just cities, to ensure that every part of the FCT is opened.

    Wike expressed satisfaction with the progress of work on the Apo-Karish Road which was awarded since 2010 by the past administrations but recorded no success, resulting in revocation and engagement of a new contractor.

    He said, “One very important road all of us know is the Apo-Karshi Road. That road was awarded in 2010. And of course, we have been to that road more than ten times. But because of the importance of that road, we couldn’t wait longer because of the excuses of the contractor. So, we had to seek the permission of Mr. President and we got that job terminated, and was awarded to SCC.”

    Wike also commended the work on Karu township and Kubwa-Gbazango- Bwari roads.

  • INEC gives recognition to Wike-backed PDP faction

    INEC gives recognition to Wike-backed PDP faction

    • Two new parties take off

    Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday conferred recognition on the Abdulrahman Mohammed caretaker committee as leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The electoral agency took the step in compliance with the last week’s Federal High Court judgment which voided the PDP’s November 16, 2025 convention in Ibadan.

    The convention, which produced the Taminu Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) was held in defiance to two Federal High Court judgments, precluding it from being held.

    At the quarterly meeting between the commission and leaders of political parties, the Caretaker Chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed, and caretaker National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, represented the main opposition party.

    It was the first to be held since INEC Chairman Prof. Ojo Amupitan assumed office.

    Prof. Amupitan, who expressed worry over the multiple intra-party crises, said the internal feuds negatively impact on electoral integrity.

    READ ALSO: The dynamics of Kano governor’s defection

    He said although two associations that met the criteria for party registration – Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) – have been registered, following their compliance with the law.

    The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Netanwe Yilwatda, complained about the systematic disenfrachment of certain categories of Nigerians on occupational grounds.

    But his call for early voting was rejected by Amupitan,  who said it may breed distrust.

    The PDP factional Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, who chided the commission for recognising the Mohammed/Anyanwu faction, said in a statement that the NWC had applied for a stay of execution, adding that the umpire acted contrary to the constitution.

    He said: This action, though ordinarily vexatious and capable of causing widespread breach of peace, will be met with all possible legal response.

    Intra-party crises erode electoral integrity, says INEC

    Amupitan said internal crises and lack of internal democracy in parties often undermine electoral integrity, urging party leaders to avoid frequent leadership squabbles.

    He said numerous litigations, in which the Commission often finds itself joined as a party, divert its attention from the primary duty of  ensuring free, fair, and credible elections.

     Amupita  said “Our collective commitment to maintaining the integrity of our electoral processes is being challenged by the unfortunate and increasingly frequent leadership squabbles within various political parties across our esteemed nation.

    “The essence of democracy is rooted in the ability of political parties to flourish, debate, and contest ideologies in a manner that respects the tenets of fair play and mutual respect.

    “However, it is with great concern that I note the current trend of infighting among party leaderships, which not only detracts from the core objectives of these political entities, but also spills over into unnecessary legal battles that tax our judicial system and public resources.”

    Two new parties registered

    The INEC Chairman announced the registration of two new political parties, bringing the number of parties to 21.

    He said out of 177 associations that sought for registration, 14  satisfied the initial pre-qualification while eight successfully uploaded their documents on the Commission’s dedicated portal.

    The eight are the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), Citizens Democratic Alliance (CDA), Abundance Social Party (ASP), African Alliance Party (AAP), Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), Green Future Party (GFP), National Democratic Party (NDP) and the Peoples Freedom Party (PFP).

    Amupitan said: “Out of the eight above, only two qualified for final assessment and verification of due compliance with the Constitution and the Electoral Act. After due consideration, only the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) was found to have complied fully with the requirements of the law.

    “Accordingly, the Commission has decided to register the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) as a political party, effective from today, 5th February 2025.

    “Furthermore, the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, in Suit No. FHC/LKJ/CS/49/2025 between Barr Takori Mohammed Sanni & Ors v. INEC ordered the Commission to register Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party.

    “The Commission has decided to comply with the order and is being registered as a political party. Certificate of Registration will be handed over to the two new political parties in due course”.

    Amupitan assured that the Commission will conduct free governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun, and  Area Council polls in FCT on February 21.

    The Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, Dr. Yusuf Dantalle, urged INEC to remain independent and provide a level playing field for all political parties.

    He urged party leaders to utilize IPAC’s internal alternative dispute resolution rather than resorting prematurely to the court after the Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed lack jurisdiction over party leadership disputes.

    Dantalle said “As we approach the eighth general election under INEC’s supervision, we must resolve to get it right. There should be no excuse for elections that fall short of credibility, transparency, and public acceptability.”

    “The conduct of the FCT Area Council election and the forthcoming governorship elections in Ekiti State and Osun State will send a strong signal regarding expectations for the 2027 General Election. The Commission must rise to the occasion. Indeed, the eyes of the nation — and the world — are upon us.”

    Yilwatda, Amupitan disagree on early voting

    Yilwatda said the disenfrachment of election day workers contribute to low voter turnout in elections.

    He said thousands of Nigerians who are legally eligible to vote are effectively disenfranchised on election day because of the very roles they play in safeguarding the process.

    Yilwatda listed such individuals as INEC ad-hoc staff, security personnel, civil society observers, medical doctors, journalists, and other essential support staff who are deployed for election duties, but are unable to cast their votes.

    Noting that their absence from the polling booth is a direct consequence of national service, he call for a deep reflection on the proposal for early voting.

    However,  Amupitan explained that while early voting had been considered, it raised serious operational and cultural concerns.

    He cautioned against a system where votes are cast early and “warehoused” for counting after the general election.

    Amupitan said such an arrangement could expose the process to abuse, manipulation, and loss of public trust, with fears that “huge votes could suddenly appear from somewhere.”

    He stressed: “At the heart of the matter is Nigeria’s electoral culture. Nigerians are deeply invested in real-time voting and counting, wanting to see results as they emerge. Until the country builds a culture and system that enjoys absolute public confidence and is seen as incorruptible, adopting early voting may remain difficult.”

    The INEC Chairman also highlighted the heavy financial implications of conducting elections in a single day nationwide.

    He explained that doing so would require the Commission to almost double its electoral materials since the current staggered process allows for the reuse of some equipment.

  • Wike dismisses claims of compromising the Judiciary

    Wike dismisses claims of compromising the Judiciary

    • …inspects judicial projects in FCT

    The Minister of the Nigerian Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Thursday dismissed claims that ongoing judicial infrastructure projects in Abuja could compromise the independence of the judiciary.

    Wike spoke after inspecting several judicial projects in the nation’s capital, Abuja.

    The projects inspected include the Court of Appeal complex, Judges’ Quarters and heads of courts of Appeal.

    The projects, which he said are presidential interventions to the third arm of government to ensure its independence, are being executed by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) through the supervision of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).

    Wike insisted that the intervention is solely aimed at improving welfare, security, and efficiency within the third arm of government.

    He added, “There is nothing you would do that critics will not criticize. Before now, people complained that judges had nowhere to stay to do their work effectively. Now that the government is providing accommodation, they say it is an attempt to buy them. How many people can you buy?

    He stressed that no democracy can function without a strong and independent judiciary, noting that providing decent accommodation and a secure environment for judges does not in any way undermine their constitutional independence.

    “You can’t talk about democracy without talking about the judiciary. You also can’t expect them to perform efficiently when they don’t have befitting places to stay. Even when funds are released to the judiciary, it is still the executive that provides those funds,” Wike stated.

    The minister explained that the projects followed a clear directive by President Bola Tinubu shortly after his inauguration in May 2023, mandating the Administration to reduce the accommodation burden on judges and improve their welfare.

    According to him, one of the key projects, a Court of Appeal division with a separate administrative headquarters, is already between 85 and 90 per cent completed.

    Read Also: 2027 election won’t stall infrastructure projects in FCT – Wike

    “We were there this morning and saw that the work is almost finished. That directive was very clear, and we are glad that it is being faithfully implemented,” he said.

    He disclosed that the FCT Administration is also constructing 40 residential houses for judges, 20 for the FCT High Court, 10 for the Court of Appeal, and 10 for the Federal High Court with plans underway to commence similar housing for the National Industrial Court.

    Wike further revealed that official residences, referred to as “Houses of Courts,” are being built for heads of courts, including the President of the Court of Appeal, the President of the National Industrial Court, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, and the Chief Judge of the FCT High Court.

    “We believe that by June or July, with the speed of work we are seeing, these projects will be handed over for Mr. President to formally present to the judiciary,” he said.

    Wike described the development as unprecedented in Nigeria’s history.

    Addressing concerns over delays in completing the Court of Appeal complex, Wike attributed the setback to last year’s unusually heavy rainfall but assured that the project is now nearing completion and would be commissioned during President Tinubu’s third year in office.

    He expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of work, reiterating the commitment of the Tinubu administration to strengthening the judiciary as a vital pillar of Nigeria’s democratic system.

  • BREAKING: INEC recognises Wike-backed PDP faction

    BREAKING: INEC recognises Wike-backed PDP faction

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has tacitly recognised the FCT Minister, Nyelsom Wike-backed National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Abdulrahman Mohammed.

    The duo of Mohammed and the Acting National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu are part of party leaders attending the first quarterly meeting between the commission and political party leaders.

    The meeting is meant for only national chairmen and National Secretaries of all registered parties recognised by the Commission.

    Read Also: INEC to revalidate voter register before 2027 polls

    The Federal High Court in Ibadan had directed the commission to recognise the Abdulrahman Mohammed led caretaker Committee as the genuine leadership of the party.

     Details shortly… 

  • 2027 election won’t stall infrastructure projects in FCT – Wike

    2027 election won’t stall infrastructure projects in FCT – Wike

    Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday, assured that political activities ahead of the next general elections will not hinder the pace of infrastructure development in the nation’s capital.

    Wike gave the assurance while briefing journalists after conducting a routine inspection of ongoing projects across Abuja.

    Responding to questions on potential political distractions, the minister stressed that service delivery remains the administration’s top priority, reaffirming his commitment to the Renewed Hope Agenda and the infrastructure targets of the FCT Administration.

    He said, “Politics is different; you have to serve the people. Politics has its own time. The work will continue to go on. Politics is not going to affect it. If you say so, the Area Council elections are coming up in the next few weeks. Are we not doing our work? It doesn’t affect us. What is important is for us to pay the contractor. From time to time, too, we will come and see for ourselves. So, the politics of 2027 will not affect our job. The only way it will affect is that people will be happy and see that the Renewed Hope Agenda is real.”

    Read Also: Why Tinubu approved Southeast Investment Company – Shettima

    The minister also provided updates on key projects inspected during the tour, including the Collector Road C01 within the Institute and Research District. The road links Baze University, the Body of Benchers, Nile University, and the Wupa Train Station of the Abuja Light Rail.

    Wike disclosed that substantial progress has been recorded on the project, adding that the contractor, China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC), has committed to completing the road by May 2026, positioning it for possible inauguration during President Bola Tinubu’s third anniversary in office.

    He further revealed that the Annex Building of the Body of Benchers has reached 80 per cent completion, expressing satisfaction with the pace and quality of work.

    Speaking on the access road connecting Bill Clinton Drive to the Tungan Madaki community, Wike explained that the 7-kilometre road, which includes a four-span bridge, forms part of a compensation arrangement for the second runway of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport. He added that the project is scheduled for completion and handover by the second week of June 2026.

    To further enhance connectivity, the minister said he has directed the Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to collaborate with CCECC on a design to extend the Tungan Madaki access road to connect with the Zuba Road corridor.

    “We are opening up other areas. You can imagine what the people here suffer during the rainy season; it’s unimaginable,” Wike said.

    “I have directed the Executive Secretary to liaise with the company, CCECC, to see how we can link it up to Zuba road. I’ve directed them to bring the design, and that again is about 7 kilometres. There is nothing we cannot do as far as this administration is concerned to give the people what they deserve, the best.”

  • 2027 politics won’t affect my job as FCT Minister – Wike

    2027 politics won’t affect my job as FCT Minister – Wike

    Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, says political activities towards the 2027 general elections will not affect his capacity to deliver life-impacting projects to FCT residents.

    Wike gave the assurance when he inspected some ongoing projects in parts of Abuja on Wednesday.

    He explained that he has the capacity to handle both tasks effectively and efficiently, with more emphasis on service to the people.

    According to him, while politics is different from his task as FCT Minister, he has a duty to serve the people.

    He further stressed that politics has its own time and the work would continue to go on, stressing that the important thing was to pay the contractors and supervise them from time to time.

    “I assure you, politics is not going to affect my work. The only way it will affect work is to make people happy by ensuring that the Renewed Hope Agenda is real and working,” he said.

    Read Also: 2027: ADC can’t match APC, Wike not a problem, says Yilwatda

    Speaking on the inspected projects, the Minister expressed satisfaction with the ongoing construction of the road linking Baze University, Body of Benchers, Nile University and the Wupa Light Rail Station in Idu Area of Abuja.

    He said that the contractor promised to deliver the project in May, and would be inaugurated to celebrate the third anniversary of President Bola Tinubu.

    Wike, who equally inspected the ongoing construction of the Body of Benchers extension building, commended the progress so far, which he said was about 80 per cent completed with only landscaping remaining to complete the job.

    The Minister equally inspected the ongoing construction of a 7km road, linking the Airport Road with Tunga Madaki and other communities in the area.

    He explained that the new road was in fulfillment of FCTA promise to the people to link them with other parts of FCT.

    He also directed that the process of linking the road with Zuba should commence.

    (NAN)

  • PDP crisis: Makinde, Wike renew hostilities

    PDP crisis: Makinde, Wike renew hostilities

    The battle for control of the soul of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) resurfaced yesterday with a clash between Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

    Both men, who were political soul mates in 2023, threw potshots at each other.

    Makinde, speaking during the inauguration of the PDP secretariat in Ibadan, launched a scathing attack on Wike and vowed that he would not allow the PDP to be dragged down.

    Makinde said: “I know that a lot of you are concerned about the PDP, asking what is happening in the party. Well, we are all in Ibadan, which is the political, administrative and cultural capital of the Yoruba race.

    “The first thing I want to say is that, in Yorubaland, we always say that if you see a house or a compound that is peaceful, it is because the illegitimate children in that house have not come of age.

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    “The illegitimate children in the PDP grew up in 2015, had their time, and for 10 years – a decade – they practised their illegitimacy in the PDP. But they were expelled in November 2025. So, no more vagabonds in the PDP.

    “Whatever it is that they are doing, you should be able to trace it back to their origin. In 2015, the PDP lost power at the federal level.

    “There was a gap in the leadership. Otherwise, those vagabonds would never have been able to take hold of the PDP.”

    Makinde said he teamed up with Wike in the past when his mission was not clear to him.

    He added: “Let me confess: I came into government in 2019 and towards 2023, I was yoked with them. But now, I have repented; I am no longer with them. But for them to hold the PDP for another party to be in power, it is no, no, no.

    “If a lie endures for 20 years, truth will overtake it in one day. Liars can continue to peddle their lies, but I have absolute trust in Nigeria’s judiciary. I know they will do the needful.

    “So, all these court cases will come together at some point, and the judiciary, being the last hope of the common man, will give justice to the PDP.”

    Explaining why the Oyo PDP secretariat was named after Omokunmi Mustapha, Makinde said the former chairman was instrumental to the return of the party to power in Oyo State in 2019.

    Wike, on Monday, after a meeting of the Rahaman Mohammed-led caretaker committee, announced March 29 as the date for the party’s convention and specifically said he was interested in the situation of the party in Oyo State.

    He said: “Let me declare my interest clearly: I am interested in the survival and success of this party. I am also interested in all the happenings in Oyo State PDP.”

    It is believed that this remark was what Makinde responded to yesterday.

    However, after the governor’s comments, Wike’s spokesman, Lere Olayinka, fired back at Makinde.

    In a post on X, he stated: “He (Makinde) admitted that he was a vagabond. He said he has now repented. So he is first a vagabond who claimed to have repented. Happy repentance to him from being a vagabond.

    “However, in my place, it is said that even when a madman is cured of his madness, there will still remain some traces of madness.

    “Therefore, like he has been inconsistent politically, don’t be surprised tomorrow when he returns to being the same vagabond that he claimed to have repented from.

    “But the truth is, we understand his fears and worries. We understand that he knows what is coming. But too bad, we can’t help him from being consumed by the fire of political treachery that he ignited.”

    Wike’s aide added: “There is this political vagabond and harlot in Ibadan. He is only loyal to his personal political interests and he is always ready to sacrifice anything, including friendship.

    “In 2007, when he sought the PDP ticket to contest for the Senate and he couldn’t get it, he went to the ANPP.

    “In 2015, when he sought the PDP ticket to contest for governor and couldn’t get it, he went to the SDP.

    “Now that this vagabond has been expelled from the PDP, and his Ibadan amala ‘kanifa’ nullified by the court, where will he go next?”

    The bigger end of the stick swung to Wike’s bloc on Friday when the Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan nullified the November 16 PDP convention held in Ibadan.

    The court declared all decisions taken at the convention null and void, including the election of the Kabiru Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) and the expulsion of Wike and former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, among others.

    It restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the Turaki-led NWC and affirmed that only a caretaker committee could run the PDP pending another convention to elect national leaders.

    The Wike camp’s caretaker committee, led by Mohammed, swiftly held a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting and announced March 29 for the convention.

    But the Turaki NWC said it had appealed the judgment and was seeking a stay of execution.

    The party’s National Secretariat remains sealed by the police following clashes between the two factions over control of the office.

    Caretaker committee dissolves N/West, S/West, Plateau excos

    The caretaker committee, which dissolved the North-West, South-West and Plateau State working committees, said new leadership structures would be set up soon.

    Its National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, said the decision was taken at a meeting of the committee in Abuja.

    He also said the national convention would now be held on March 29 and 30, instead of March 28 and 29, as previously announced.

    Mohammed said: “Recall that yesterday (Monday), during the NEC meeting, a date was announced for the national convention of the party, which was billed to hold on the 28th and 29th of March.

    “However, after careful consideration of certain factors, the date has been slightly adjusted for the convention to take place on the 29th to the 30th of March, instead of the earlier 28th–29th of March.

    “Secondly, the National Caretaker Working Committee has equally dissolved the Northwest, Southwest and Plateau State zonal committees. The zonal committees of the PDP will have caretaker committees appointed soon.

    “Furthermore, the timetable approved for the congresses in the states, zonal and ward congresses will take effect as approved by the NEC.

    “The National Caretaker Working Committee will consult widely before the announcement of the National Convention Planning Committee. These are the resolutions, or major decisions, that have been reached after today’s meeting.”

    Chairman of the Caretaker Committee, Mohammed, said the party was united under his leadership.

    He said the committee would work round the clock to organise an all-inclusive national convention.

    He said: “There is no division in the PDP under my leadership. The PDP is united. We are working towards a peaceful and all-inclusive convention of our party.

    “I am sure that members of the party are following developments and know that we are genuinely working to reposition this party.

    “The party remains united, committed to bringing its members together, and focused on forging ahead in preparation for future elections.

    “This caretaker committee is also working in accordance with the PDP constitution and electoral laws to organise an all-inclusive national convention.

    “As we move forward, our focus will continue to be on inclusiveness, transparency and ensuring that every member of the party has a voice in shaping the future of the PDP.”

    Party workers back Turaki faction

    Party workers, who pledged support for Turaki, said the Federal High Court in Ibadan had constituted itself into an appointing authority.

    A statement by 76 employees, including the Acting Director of Administration, Gambo Isa Guade, and the Director-General of the Peoples Democratic Institute, Dr Edward Ugbada, said Turaki remained the legally recognised leader.

    The statement reads: “The management and staff of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Peoples Democratic Institute (PDI) have noted the recent judgment of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, on the issue of the leadership of our great party and, as critical stakeholders, state as follows:

    “That the entire management and staff of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) reaffirm our recognition, loyalty and allegiance to the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki SAN-led National Working Committee (NWC) of our great party, which was duly and legally elected at the party’s National Convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15–16, 2025.

    “That we stand by the election of the National Working Committee and all other resolutions reached at the Ibadan National Convention, as they are in the general interest of our party in the exercise of its supremacy over its internal affairs, in line with the Constitution of the PDP and extant judgments of the Supreme Court.

    “That the staff of the PDP, as custodians of the PDP Secretariat, will not align with or recognise any other unauthorised leadership apart from the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki SAN-led National Working Committee (NWC), because the leadership was validly elected at the National Convention sanctioned by all the legitimate organs of the party.”