The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has promised to reward every councillor in the nation’s capital with N10 million if they successfully deliver their respective wards for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
Wike made the promise on Monday during a Rainbow Coalition stakeholders’ meeting held in Kwali Area Council, which was attended by traditional rulers, political stakeholders and residents.
The minister’s media aide, Lere Olayinka, confirmed the development to TheCable on Monday.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Wike told the councillors and political stakeholders that anyone who delivers their ward for Tinubu would receive N10 million as a reward.
“Any councillor that delivers his ward will get N10 million reward,” the minister said.
He urged the councillors to intensify grassroots mobilisation by engaging community leaders, youth groups and various associations to secure support for the President ahead of the 2027 elections.
“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 added.
Wike also used the occasion to endorse former FCT Senator Philip Aduda for the FCT senatorial seat and Danladi Chiya for the Abuja South Federal Constituency.
Expressing confidence in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the minister said he was convinced that Kwali, Gwagwalada and Abaji Area Councils would deliver overwhelming support for the party.
“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 percent for APC,” he said.
The FCT minister also criticised opposition politicians over their reactions to Thursday’s Federal High Court judgment, which sacked the David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and nullified decisions taken by the party, including Atiku Abubakar’s nomination as its presidential candidate.
He accused opposition parties and political figures of applying double standards in their assessment of judicial decisions, arguing that they only describe the judiciary as independent when court rulings favour them.
“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,'” Wike said.
“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 further maintained that no administration had done more for the FCT than the Tinubu-led government, citing several infrastructure and administrative projects undertaken across the nation’s capital.
He disclosed that the administration had constructed more than 270 kilometres of roads across satellite towns, with 95 kilometres of the projects located in Kwali Area Council.
Among other achievements highlighted by the minister were the establishment of the FCT Civil Service Commission, the appointment of an FCT Head of Service, the granting of financial autonomy to area councils and ongoing infrastructure upgrades across satellite communities.
Wike said the projects and policy initiatives demonstrated the Tinubu administration’s commitment to improving infrastructure, governance and development across the Federal Capital Territory.
