The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has defended the performance of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, insisting that residents of Abuja can already “see and feel” the impact of ongoing government projects and policy interventions.
Speaking during a media chat in Abuja on Monday, Wike dismissed claims that Nigerians particularly residents of the Federal Capital Territory were not benefiting from the programmes of the administration led by Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to him, criticisms suggesting that the government had delivered little or no impact are largely driven by political sentiment rather than an objective assessment of developments on the ground.
“When I begin to hear people say people are angry, people are not feeling the impact of government, I say, come, is it really just because we want to say so that we are saying something to criticise the government?” he said.
Wike acknowledged that the administration had not achieved all its goals, but argued that its accomplishments should not be dismissed.
“I’m not saying the government have done everything, I’m not saying so,” Wike stated.
He maintained that anyone living in Abuja should be able to identify visible improvements linked to government interventions across the city.
“But if you are really a resident in Abuja, can you, in truth, say you don’t feel the impact of this government? Forget about your sentiment. Forget about, oh, I want my village man to be president,” he said.
Wike urged Nigerians to separate political preference from evaluation of government performance, warning that partisan considerations could distort public perception.
“If you are really staying in Abuja, will you say this government has not made any impact in terms of whatever you may name?” he asked.
The former Rivers State governor further stressed that the administration was not claiming to have achieved perfection, noting that governance is a continuous process.
“And we are not saying we have done 100 per cent. If we have done 100 per cent, we don’t need to say, okay, give him another opportunity,” he said.
Wike expressed confidence in the direction of the Tinubu administration, adding that there remains hope that ongoing policies and projects will continue to deliver benefits to Nigerians.
