The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has pledged ₦10 million to each councillor who secures victory for President Bola Tinubu and other All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in their ward during the 2027 general elections.
Wike announced the reward on Monday at a Rainbow Coalition stakeholders’ meeting in Kwali Area Council, attended by traditional rulers, political leaders and residents, according to Punch.
“Any councillor that delivers his ward will get N10 million reward. Therefore, go and meet your leaders, go and meet your youth groups, go and consult with associations. Let’s deliver our ward to Mr President,” he said.
He urged councillors to engage community leaders, youth groups and local associations to mobilise support for the APC ahead of the elections.
The minister also reaffirmed his backing for Tinubu’s re-election bid and endorsed Senator Philip Aduda for the FCT Senate seat and Danladi Chiya for the Abuja South Federal Constituency.
Wike expressed confidence that Kwali, Gwagwalada and Abaji would support the APC in the next election, arguing that residents should judge political leaders by their performance rather than promises.
“I don’t need to preach to you any longer. The one you are seeing is what you follow, not the one that will give you unfulfilled promises. I will go to sleep tonight because I know Kwali, Gwagwalada, and Abaji are 100 per cent for APC,” Wike declared.
The minister also accused opposition politicians of applying double standards in their assessment of court judgments, particularly in disputes involving the judiciary and political parties.
He cited the opposition’s reaction to different rulings involving the African Democratic Congress (ADC), arguing that politicians praised the courts when judgments favoured them but questioned their credibility when decisions went against their interests.
Wike recalled that opposition figures had previously described the judiciary as the last hope of democracy following a favourable Supreme Court decision involving the ADC. However, he said some of the same figures later accused President Tinubu of using the courts to undermine the opposition after an unfavourable ruling.
He questioned the consistency of such reactions, saying political actors should not judge the credibility of the judiciary solely by whether its decisions serve their interests.
“When ADC had a matter in court and won at the Supreme Court, they said, ‘The court is the last hope,’ ‘The court has saved democracy,’ and ‘We know our judiciary will not fail us.’
“But when they lost a court case, it became: ‘The President is using the court to fight the opposition.’ When it is good for you, the judiciary is clear. When it is bad, you claim they are using it to destroy democracy. What kind of system are we operating?” Wike questioned.
Wike also defended his administration’s decision to provide brand-new Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) to first-class traditional rulers in the FCT, which has drawn criticism from some political commentators.
Rejecting suggestions that the vehicles were intended to influence traditional rulers politically, Wike said the provision was meant to give the monarchs the respect and dignity their positions deserved.
He questioned why traditional rulers should be expected to rely on public transport while government officials and political officeholders used official vehicles.
The minister maintained that his administration would continue to provide for traditional institutions despite criticism of the policy.
“You want a first-class traditional ruler to be walking on the road with a stick in hand, taking public buses so they can get hit by a car one day? But you expect Chief Press Secretaries to Governors, Chairmen, and Presidents to ride SUVs?
“Instead of using their platforms to support good things, critics turn it upside down. We will provide for our traditional rulers, and nothing will come out of their complaints,” he said.
Wike further said the FCT administration had constructed more than 270 kilometres of roads across the territory’s satellite towns, including 95 kilometres in Kwali.
He added that several ongoing road projects were nearing completion and were scheduled for inauguration in December.
The minister described the Rainbow Coalition as a platform working to advance the interests of FCT residents, saying its grassroots network brought together people across political affiliations to promote development and effective representation.
He credited Tinubu with taking decisions that, in his view, had improved the FCT’s administration and infrastructure.
“The kind of decision the President is taking is not one that other politicians will take, bringing us out from the shadow into reality, and that is what a good leader should be able to do for his people,” he said.
Among the changes he highlighted were the establishment of the FCT Civil Service Commission, the appointment of an FCT Head of Service, financial autonomy for area councils and road construction in satellite communities.
Wike also recalled what he described as decades of political marginalization of the FCT, noting that the territory, with an estimated population of six to seven million people, had only one Senate seat and two seats in the House of Representatives.
He said Tinubu’s administration had introduced changes to the territory’s civil service and traditional institutions, urging residents to consider these developments when making their choices in 2027.
“For 50 years, nobody could remember you. The President has changed the narrative, given you your own civil service, allowed you to employ your people, and elevated your traditional stools. You cannot afford to make a mistake in 2027,” Wike warned.
The minister also pledged to examine the salaries of FCT councillors after the Chairman of the National Councillors Forum of Nigeria, FCT Chapter, Gambo Hamza, complained that they earned ₦260,000 monthly.
Hamza had appealed to Wike to intervene and review their remuneration.
In his remarks, the APC Chairman in the FCT, Ishaku Yamawo, praised Wike for bringing political stakeholders together across party lines and supporting development in the territory.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman in the FCT, Mohammed Dogara, also commended the minister’s work and pledged support for Tinubu’s re-election.
Similarly, Aliyu Baka, speaking on behalf of Rainbow Coalition stakeholders in the FCT, acknowledged what he described as the coalition’s electoral mistakes in 2023 and said members were prepared to work for the victory of their candidates and Tinubu in 2027.
