A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Yakubu Sani has criticised Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over his recent political activities, accusing him of giving too much attention to political disagreements while important issues affecting Abuja residents remain unresolved.
Sani, who is the founder of the Arewa Mandate Alliance (AMA), urged the FCT minister to concentrate on his responsibilities in the nation’s capital and allow the projects being executed under his watch to speak for his performance.
The APC chieftain made the remarks while reacting to Wike’s recent exchanges with Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), Hope Uzodimma.
The disagreement between Wike and Uzodimma is part of a wider political dispute over the minister’s proposed “Rainbow Coalition” ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Wike has repeatedly explained that the coalition is intended to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu across political parties.
He has also maintained that supporting Tinubu for the presidency does not require politicians to support APC candidates in governorship and legislative elections.
However, the position has faced opposition from the APC Governors’ Forum, which is chaired by Uzodimma.
The APC governors have said they would not support any political arrangement capable of weakening the APC or affecting the party’s candidates in the 2027 elections.
Sani, in his reaction, said the disagreement should not distract Wike from his responsibilities as FCT minister.
He particularly faulted the minister for allegedly using occasions meant for the commissioning of roads, bridges and other infrastructure projects to engage political opponents.
“Wike should learn from Uzodimma. The Imo governor is working and organising quietly without abusing anybody. He is concentrating on governance, delivering projects and organising the largest support base for the President,” he said.
According to Sani, Wike was appointed by President Bola Tinubu to administer the FCT and should therefore place the needs of residents above political confrontations.
He said the minister should use the opportunity provided by infrastructure projects to highlight development in Abuja rather than turn such occasions into platforms for political exchanges.
“Every road and bridge commissioned in Abuja should be an opportunity to talk about development, not an occasion to abuse or denigrate perceived obstacles to his unbridled and rabid political ambition,” Sani said.
The APC chieftain also raised concerns about areas of public service which he said require greater attention in the FCT.
He argued that the development of Abuja should not be measured only by the number of roads, bridges and other physical infrastructure projects completed by the administration.
Sani said the welfare of workers and the state of essential public services should also form part of the minister’s priorities.
“While Wike is building roads and bridges, he should also be asking what is happening to the welfare of teachers, healthcare workers and civil servants in the FCT,” he said.
He further identified water supply, waste disposal and indiscriminate parking among issues he said continue to affect residents and motorists in parts of Abuja.
“Many FCT residents don’t have water, while motorists compete with refuse dumps for space on major roads in the city. This leads to obstruction as vehicles are parked indiscriminately on motorways,” he said.
Sani maintained that physical infrastructure alone would not address all the challenges facing residents of the capital.
He said schools, hospitals, public institutions and the workers responsible for running them also require attention.
“You cannot build beautiful roads and bridges and ignore the people who teach our children, treat our sick and run the machinery of the government. Their welfare should also be a priority,” Sani said.
The former Rivers State governor recently named Uzodimma, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun as the three APC governors he said were opposed to his political activities.
Wike also mentioned Adamawa, Edo, Kogi, Lagos, Akwa Ibom and Ondo among states where he said governors had no problem with the Rainbow Coalition.
The minister has continued to defend the coalition, insisting that it is not an APC structure.
“Most importantly, Rainbow Coalition has nothing to do with the APC. Rather, it is my own way of mobilising support across political parties for Mr President, who has done well to deserve a second term,” Wike said in an earlier statement.
The political disagreement has also generated reactions from APC leaders in different parts of the country.
The APC leadership in the South-East recently rejected the Rainbow Coalition and declared its support for the Progressive Governors’ Forum led by Uzodimma.
The party leaders said they would resist moves they believed could weaken the APC ahead of the 2027 elections.
In Rivers State, however, the APC chapter took a different position and said it would remain involved in the political arrangement associated with Wike.
The state chapter argued that political circumstances differ from one state to another and should not necessarily be treated in the same manner.
Sani nevertheless urged Wike to reduce his involvement in political confrontations and give greater attention to the administration of the FCT.
He argued that the minister could demonstrate his political relevance through the quality of governance and services delivered in Abuja rather than through public exchanges with governors and other politicians.
“President Tinubu gave Wike a job to do in Abuja. He should concentrate on that job. Let the quality of his work speak for him instead of using every commissioning ceremony to attack APC governors who are committed to Tinubu’s re-election,” he said.
The APC chieftain also said the minister should be mindful of the effect that persistent political disagreements could have on the public perception of projects being executed by the FCT Administration.
According to him, residents are more concerned about functional public services, better roads, water supply, sanitation, healthcare, education and the welfare of workers than political arguments among politicians.
