FCT MINISTER REAFFIRMS FCTA’S COMMITMENT TO DEVELOPING THE TERRITORY
…DEBUNKS ALLEGATIONS THAT HE INTERFERED WITH COUNCIL ELECTIONS
…ATTRIBUTES APC’S SUCCESS TO OPPOSITION UNPREPAREDNESS
By: RABI MUSA UMAR
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Ezenwo Nyesom Wike has reaffirmed the commitment of the FCT Administration 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, March 2, 2026, noted that he met with the rural people upon assumption of office to solicit their support for the current administration, where he also promised massive infrastructure development to 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.
Barr. Wike also announced that he would be touring the entire FCT Area Councils to thank the people for their support for President Tinubu, as demonstrated in the results of the just-concluded Area Councils polls.
Speaking on the polls, the FCT Minister debunked claims by the opposition that he interfered in the Area Councils elections, where 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 for observation purposes and not to tilt the process in favour of any candidate.
The Minister said, “I was never in 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 3000 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, as chief security officer in charge of the FCT, he had a right to have a view of what was going on and wondered how that amounted to influencing the elections.
Barr. Wike, who also responded to claims that the declaration of movement restrictions was a curfew designed to influence the polls, emphasized that all measures taken were approved by the Presidency to ensure the security and integrity of the democratic process.
He also denied that a curfew or public holiday was declared, pointing out that a work-free day was only granted prior to the election to allow residents to prepare, while movement was restricted strictly from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM 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 to curtail the influx of people from neighboring states and reduce the likelihood of violence during the elections.
“I never declared curfew; I never declared a public holiday. I said with the approval of the President. We had an intelligence report, and we didn’t want a situation of violence in the election. This is not the first time where government has come to say there will be restriction of movements during an election,” he explained
Addressing concerns regarding voter turnout, the Minister noted the disparity between urban and rural participation, saying that while the big men in urban centers often talk without coming out to vote, the rural areas—where the FCT Administration has focused its infrastructure projects—showed up en masse.
He further challenged the opposition’s narrative regarding disenfranchisement, stressing that mobilizing voters was the duty of political parties and candidates in the election, 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 mobilize 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 knew the people, you can mobilize 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 Obio-Akpor. Now the reality has dawned on them”, the Minister pointed out.
Comparing elections to an academic exam, the Minister noted that one needed to read in order to pass and stressed that the opposition failed to campaign adequately, but expected a different result.
“You are going to school, and you know the exam will come in two to three months. Nobody waits for exams to come before you know that you will prepare for the exams. So, it’s a process. You must attend classes; you must read to be prepared for the exams”, he noted.
