Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has boasted that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and other opposition elements lack the wherewithal to challenge let alone wrest power from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.
The former governor of Rivers State declared that ADC lacks the grassroots structure required to challenge the ruling party, stressing that Nigeria’s electoral success is driven largely by local political structures, not narratives in the media.
He said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is the only opposition party that can give the APC a fight in the election and urged it to resolve its protracted internal issues and demonstrate tangible achievements if it hopes to be competitive in future elections.
The FCT minister downplayed allegations that he pledged to “hold down” the PDP for President Bola Tinubu, calling it a “blatant lie.”
Makinde recently told journalists that Wike, during a visit to the State House in 2024, promised President Tinubu that he would “hold PDP” for him.
Reacting, Wike said the meeting had nothing to do with the PDP but was meant to show support for Tinubu’s leadership and assure him of continued support.
According to him, his support for Tinubu had never been hidden and did not require any special meeting to affirm.
“Seyi said I told Tinubu that I would hold PDP for him. Nothing like that happened.
“Everyone knows my position on Tinubu. I don’t need a meeting to tell him that,” Wike said.
Wike questioned the basis of Makinde’s claim and asked why the Oyo governor failed to brief the PDP leadership on the alleged discussion.
“First of all, let us ask: what was the purpose of that meeting? Why did Makinde not come out to tell the party that this is what Wike said?” he asked.
“There was no such meeting. What was the purpose of that meeting that would have led me to say, ‘Mr. President, I will hold PDP for you’?
“Why did Makinde not come up all this while to tell the party, ‘see what Wike is doing’? I was in a meeting and saw what Wike said. It’s not correct.
“And let me put the record straight: there was no such meeting. Rather, my humble self, the former governor of Abia state, Okezie Ikpeazu; the former governor of Benue state, Samuel Ortom; Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; and Makinde went to see the president.
“That is so unfair to say that I said that I will hold PDP down for you. If you look at that media chat, you will see that Makinde was frustrated.”
He also criticised Makinde’s political approach, suggesting the Oyo governor lacked understanding of party politics.
“We have advised him several times. Politics is not like being a contractor with Shell. It has different rules.”
Wike added that as a minister, he has a responsibility to ensure that members of the G-5 group benefited from the Tinubu administration in one way or another.
He also said the misunderstanding began when Makinde failed to secure a ministerial position for his nominee.
“What we are dealing with today is that he was not given any ministerial slot,” Wike said.
“Even when he was saying it, we could see the anger. He didn’t need to tell anybody; we could see it. We told him, ‘Calm down.’”
The former Rivers governor said efforts were made to pacify Makinde and explain the circumstances surrounding the appointments, including visits to Tinubu.
“We went back home and explained why we went to see the president. We told him, just take it easy. There are certain factors you may not have considered. However, something has to be done.”
Wike added that despite these efforts, Makinde appeared to have already made up his mind making reconciliation difficult.
“I remember when the Rivers state government held a reception for me. The former governor of Benue, Samuel Ortom, spoke and said they were going to support the president for a second term.
“But Seyi Makinde, the next day, replied, questioning why he would say such a thing. I called him and said even if Ortom said so, he didn’t need to go that far. All he could have said was, ‘let’s call it a day; it’s too early for you to make that kind of statement.’”
He further claimed that he had not received the level of support Makinde allegedly got from Tinubu, including the reported N50 billion grant for victims of the Bodija explosion in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
However, Makinde’s Special Adviser on Media, Dr. Suleimon Olanrewaju, has said only N30 billion was released, explaining that part of the funds was paid directly to victims as immediate support while the balance was used for rebuilding and restoration.
Nonetheless, Wike maintained thatMakinde owed Oyo people a duty to account for how the funds were spent, adding that such expenditure should have been properly appropriated before disbursement.
•PDP‘ll die if I defect
Mr Wike’s supporters in Rivers House of Assembly and Governor Siminalayi Fubara recently dumped PDP and joined APC. Wike, however, insisted that he is still a member of PDP and not considering leaving the party.
“Today if I say I want to decamp to APC, that will be the end of PDP. You will see leaders of the party in other states who will join me.
“If today I say, gentlemen look, we have had enough of PDP, watch those who will decamp in Benue; watch those who will decamp in Plateau, in Abia, in Edo. But the mere fact that people have left PDP to APC does not mean I have to leave. No, it is not correct. I am still a member of PDP,” he said.
On the possible take-over of his political structure in Rivers by Fubara, Wike assured his supporters that his political relevance in the state was incontestable.
He added that he still holds his political structure in the state.
According to him, Fubara’s defection to APC does not necessarily make him the leader of the party in the state, like the case in Lagos and Kano states.
“There are exceptions to the rule. There is nothing like 001 in the state, you register in your ward and not at the state level.
“So, if there is 001, it is in your ward, because every party member registered in his ward,” he said.
The minister further said that beyond being a governor, there must be exceptional qualities that makes one a leader, worthy of followership.
He argued that Fubara’s defection to APC was of no consequence, stressing that he joined the party alone.
“If a governor is moving to another party, he moves with council chairmen, party leaders and members of the state assembly. In his case, the people have already left the PDP and joined the APC on their own, as such, defecting to APC doesn’t guarantee him an automatic ticket for second tenure,” Wike said.
•Wike foresees stronger PDP if…
He is optimistic that the PDP could still wax stronger if it addressed its current leadership challenge. According to him, things could get better for the party if its leadership learnt to do things the right way.
The main opposition party is faced with mass defection, following the lingering leadership crisis that threatens the existence of the party.
The minister recalled warning the party leadership that if things were not done in the right way, the party could find itself in a very unfavourable situation.
“Leadership is very key to everything you are doing whether in association or in government. If the leader does not take the right decision, everything will go wrong.
“We have had this kind of problem before and the party did not collapse, nobody defected because the leadership was committed to ensuring that certain things are done to keep the party afloat.
“But when you have a leadership that is not focused, a leadership that is not selfish and does not understand that politics is different from business, of course you are bound to see what you are seeing today.”
Describing the PDP as a “well-known party” to all Nigerians, Wike said the party was now taking the back seat.
According to him, the PDP is where it is today because the leadership lacks focus, not sure of what to do and does not take suggestions.
He expressed optimism that the party would bounce back If the leadership was committed to doing the right by acknowledging its mistakes and taking steps to correct them and move forward.
The minister argued that party members were largely based on what one contributes to the growth and development of the party and not just carrying a membership card.
•Defends FCT land reforms
The minister pushed back against criticism of his administration’s land reforms, insisting they strictly follow the law to protect investors, even if they ruffle elite feathers—while touting broader gains in infrastructure, business climate, and rural development ahead of Area Council elections.
He framed the reforms as part of a holistic push to elevate living standards across Abuja through roads, schools, and healthcare upgrades.
“Today you can go to work because the roads have been opened up. We are also renovating schools and improving the learning environment. We have awarded not less than 200 contracts to improve our schools. Similarly, we are renovating health facilities to provide high-quality medical infrastructure.
“You cannot say this government is not doing anything to improve education and health… If you are staying in the FCT, you can see the improvement. If you don’t have a good road, that affects your life.”
The minister linked these efforts to the FCT’s top-five “Ease of Doing Business” ranking, crediting security and infrastructure—including land policies—that keep businesses rooted. We are creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive. Abuja is doing well because certain parameters—security and infrastructure—are being met. If you don’t have a safe environment and a good road network, businesses will run away.”
Wike expressed confidence in an APC victory in upcoming Area Council polls, arguing voters will reward development that reaches rural areas, not just the city center.
“You support candidates based on what your party has been able to do. Today, I have a reason to say vote for this Area Council Chairman based on their performance. Whether you like President Tinubu or not, the issue is: what has he done to change the FCT? Today, the rural areas are seeing the impact of government.”
In Rivers State, Wike called for executive-legislative synergy to advance President Tinubu’s agenda, announcing a local government tour to build alliances.
•More democracy dividends in 2026
He said the outgoing year had been good with lots of positive changes in the territory, notwithstanding the existence of one form of challenge or the other.
“Generally, one could say that 2025 has been very very good for us. We have seen a lot of changes in the FCT and of course, it is what the residents expect us to do. For me, it has been a very very tremendous year, even though we might not have achieved what we set out for ourselves to achieve due to one or two setbacks.
“Notwithstanding, 2025 has been a very good year for us and I believe that in 2016, the residents of the FCT will see more positive changes,.”
The minister said he had no regret over any decision he had taken, adding that he had been able to achieve most of the things he set out to achieve in 2025. He, however, noted that being human, things might not go smoothly all the time, adding, however, that he had no regret.
“I don’t have any regret. Any role I have taken, everything I have set out for myself, I have been able to achieve. Yes, there could be one or two setbacks like I have said, it is bound to happen but every decision I have taken, I have no regret.”
•Subsidy removal makes more money
The Minister said fuel subsidy removal by President Tinubu has made more money available to state governments.
He argued that state governments now make an annual budget of more than N1 trillion.
He added that smart Nigerians, who knew that so much money was in the state had taken steps to get their share of the “national cake” through different means.
He pointed out that with so much money in the states, the quality of life of the people would generally improve, urging residents to demand accountability from their state governors.
He said never got the kind of money that state governors now have in his eight years as governor of Rivers, stressing that he never received more than N200 billion in a year.
“In all my life, as governor for eight years in Rivers, I have never received from the Federation Account more than N200 billion in a year. The records are there.
“States are now making a budget of over a trillion because the removal of fuel subsidy has now made money available to the states and so most of them are blindfolded,” he said.
The minister said that he would do wonders if he had N500 billion in FCT account, stressing that FCT gets only 1 percent of the share of the Federal Government (FG) from the federation account.
“Take for example, if FG gets N1 trillion, one percent is N10 million and that is not enough to pay salary. I will have to go back to Internally Generated Revenue, but look at what is happening in Abuja. With the little we have got, we have been able to do the best that we can for the residents of FCT.”
He, however, cautioned that money has its own limitations, adding that there were areas where money could not go but goodwill would take someone there.
Credit: The Sun