Wike reaffirms FCTA’s commitment to develop Abuja

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Nyesom Wike, has reaffirmed the commitment of the FCT Administration under his watch to upholding the pact it made with the people through the provision of vital infrastructure and ensuring that the dividends of democracy reach every corner of the territory.

The Minister, who stated this during a media parley in Abuja on Monday, noted that upon assumption of office he met with rural residents to solicit their support for the current administration, where he also promised massive infrastructure development in the FCT in return.

“You must have heard me say agreement is agreement; if you do for me, I do for you… Every party will say we are going to give you good governance; we are going to provide infrastructure. I said if you vote for us, leave it for us to do our own part. Our own part is to provide infrastructure as we promised,” the Minister said.

Wike also announced that he would tour all the FCT Area Councils to thank the people for their support for President Tinubu, as demonstrated in the results of the just-concluded Area Council polls.

Speaking on the polls, the FCT Minister debunked claims by the opposition that he interfered in the Area Council elections, in which the All Progressives Congress (APC) won five out of the six council seats.

He dismissed allegations that his presence at the few polling units he visited influenced the results, noting that his visits to about 10 out of 3,000 units were purely for observation and not to tilt the process in favour of any candidate.

The Minister said, “I was never on the ballot, and I never came out to say vote for APC. All I said is, candidates supporting Mr President are the candidates I will support… Are you telling me that because I visited 10 polling units out of 3,000 polling units, that’s how it influenced the election, and you lost?”

He noted that no provision in the law prevented him from moving about on election day, explaining that only candidates in the election were barred from doing so. He said that, as Chief Security Officer in charge of the FCT, he had the right to observe what was going on and wondered how that amounted to influencing the elections.

Wike also responded to claims that the declaration of movement restrictions was a curfew designed to influence the polls, emphasising that all measures taken were approved by the Presidency to ensure the security and integrity of the democratic process.

He denied that a curfew or public holiday was declared, pointing out that a work-free day was granted prior to the election to allow residents to prepare, while movement was restricted strictly from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on election day.

“As the Chief Security Officer of the FCT, it is my duty to safeguard lives and property,” Barr. Wike said, adding that the restriction was based on security reports, as well as the need to curtail the influx of people from neighbouring states and reduce the likelihood of violence during the elections.

“I never declared a curfew; I never declared a public holiday. I said, with the approval of Mr President, we had intelligence reports, and we didn’t want a situation of violence in the election. This is not the first time the government has announced restrictions of movement during an election,” he explained.

Addressing concerns regarding voter turnout, the Minister noted the disparity between urban and rural participation, saying that while influential figures in urban centres often speak without coming out to vote, rural areas — where the FCT Administration has focused its infrastructure projects — turned out in large numbers.

He further challenged the opposition’s narrative regarding disenfranchisement, stressing that mobilising voters was the responsibility of political parties and candidates, not the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) or the government.

“These people shouting every time that people didn’t come out, you are the one telling people that this government is not doing well. The only option you have is to mobilise people to come and vote against the government you have told the people is not doing well.

“Look at where Senator Ireti voted. Her polling unit, where we thought, you know, the people, you can mobilise them, ADC had only two votes, APC had three votes, and PDP had one vote. That is a Senator’s polling unit. You remember the candidate of ADC had said that this is not Obiakpor. Now the reality has dawned on them,” the Minister pointed out.

Comparing elections to an academic examination, the Minister said preparation was essential for success and stressed that the opposition failed to campaign adequately, but expected a different outcome.

“You are going to school, and you know exams will come in two or three months’ time. Nobody waits for exams to come before preparing. It is a process. You must attend classes; you must read to be prepared for the exams,” he noted.