Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

In a scathing dismissal of opposition efforts, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, yesterday, declared that the coalition led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar against the reelection of President Bola Tinubu in 2027 was doomed from inception.

Speaking with characteristic bluntness, Wike described the alliance as dead on arrival, lacking unity, vision, and the political will to challenge the ruling party effectively.

The setting for Wike’s latest barrage of attacks on the opposition leaders was the inauguration by President Tinubu of the left-hand side service lane of the Apo-Wasa Road.

The President, who was represented by Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, praised Wike and charged the FCT Minister to ignore naysayers and not to be distracted.

Tinubu noted that future generations will remember the minister not for how he responded to his critics, but for the visible legacies his leadership has delivered in the capital city.

Wike said: “Abuja people, traders who are here, you know, you people too, sometimes the way you behave, I don’t understand. You allow people to come and deceive you and tell you lies.

“People have made promises to you, but nobody has fulfilled the promise. Now, this man came and said, ‘Abuja people, don’t worry. I am going to do the road’ and he has done it. ‘I am going to relocate you,’ he will relocate you. And, you are giving attention to those who you don’t know whether their name will be on the ballot or not.

“Up till now, they have not settled about themselves. Which coalition? Is it the left or the right? A coalition that was born and died the same day.”
Some other political leaders driving the coalition include Peter Obi, Nasir El‑Rufai and Rotimi Amaechi.

The minister further directed the canon at the opposition, challenging those of them embittered that the Tinubu-led administration was inaugurating projects to continue to be angry.

He said: “May you never be happy in your life because you choose not to be happy. We are not tired. We continue to work.

“Mr. President said yesterday (Thursday), that he is not here to please you. I am not here to please unnecessarily critics. I am here to please the residents of Abuja, not unnecessary critics. I have no business with you.

“I will continue to give you high blood pressure. So, 17 days, it has never happened in the history of this country, where a president will commission projects from day one to day 17. “Not flag off, I am talking about commissioning, not flag off. There is a difference between flag off and commissioning.

“Mr. President, even if you don’t come again, this one you have come. You have shown exceptional love to the people of Abuja and the FCT administration. We will not disappoint you, we will continue to support you”.

The minister also defended the N39 billion incurred in the renovation of the International Conference Centre, now renamed after the President.
The Labour Party candidate in the 2023 presidential election, Obi, had condemned the money spent on the project as inflated and as a misplaced priority.

However, Wike averred that anybody who loved the country would not criticise the renovation, saying that Nigeria, as the giant of Africa, must not only show that it is a giant, but, “people must see what makes you to be a giant of Africa.”

He also flayed those criticising the International Conference Centre as people who don’t have good taste, saying, “It’s not about ‘I wear only one shoe, telling people lies. It’s not about, ‘oh, I carry my bag.’

“Another one is that, ‘oh, it was built with N240 million’. Which year? 1991. What was the exchange rate in 1991 and compare the exchange rate?
“People will just sit down for the sake of criticising. Look at the exchange rate in 1991 and 2025, and then compare.

“Oh, they built it with billion. So what? We have taste. We want the best for the country. And the President has given the best for the country.

“Somebody said it is a misplaced priority. You that cannot win an election. He is telling us misplaced priorities. If you had priorities, Nigerians would have voted for you. It is not about social media. You say you will run an election. Wait, 2027 is here. We don’t need to kill ourselves. When the jungle matures, we will know.
“Why would you not commend somebody who has done well? You are not happy that they named it after Mr. President, go and kill yourself. I have done it and I have no regrets at all,” Wike blasted.

Wike promised to continue to defend the President, saying he and the FCT Minister of State, Mariya Mahmoud, were not loved because they got all the Presidential assistance required to perform.

Tinubu, in his remarks, commended Wike for reviving abandoned projects in the FCT, with discipline, quality, and time-earned speed, saying the minister will be best remembered for his legacy in the nation’s capital.

“Remain focused on the country to deliver,” he said.

“Nobody will remember you for the way you answered your critics. They will remember you for the legacies that you are leaving on ground. And we are seeing the legacy,” he added.

He said he was impressed with the scope and aesthetics of the completed carriageway, saying, “Even the blind walking through this Wasa Road will know Nigeria is indeed working. If they were the ones (critics), they would have seen. But because it is you, they choose to remain blind.”

The 15-kilometre Apo-Wasa Road (Outer Southern Expressway) that stretches from Ring Road 1, is a major artery that links the city centre to fast-developing corridors as Wasa, Apo, Gudu, and parts of Lokogoma.

“This infrastructure fully demonstrates our commitment to sustainable urban development, enhanced mobility, and improved quality of life for residents of the FCT and, by extension, all Nigerians,” he said.