Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has taken a fresh swipe at Peter Obi and his supporters ahead of the 2027 general elections, urging them to elect the former Anambra State governor as the “president of social media.”
The Press Nigeria reports that Wike made the remarks on Wednesday at a political stakeholders’ forum in Abuja, where he also cautioned Nigerians against voting for politicians he described as fake.
“You can vote for Peter Obi as president of social media.
“Why do you like people who are fake? People who are not real?
“We prefer a president that will tell us this is white and it is white,” Wike said.
The FCT minister also praised President Bola Tinubu for removing the petrol subsidy on May 29, 2023, arguing that previous administrations had described the subsidy as fraudulent but lacked the political will to abolish it.
According to Wike, although subsidy removal has contributed to the rising cost of living, the economic reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration would eventually deliver prosperity and reduce the financial burden on Nigerians.
“There is no president that came that said fuel subsidy was not a scam. Every president said it was a scam. But nobody had that courage to say it will go. And it came, May 29th, 2023, he said, ‘Subsidy, you are gone,’” he stated.
Wike acknowledged that the cost of goods and services remained high but expressed optimism that prices would decline as the reforms stabilised.
“We agree that the cost of things are a bit high. By the time the reform is stabilised, the cost of living will come down. That is the sacrifice of removing the fuel subsidy,” he added.
He further claimed that Nigerians were beginning to benefit from the reforms, arguing that increased allocations to state governments had eased their financial pressures.
“Nobody (governors) goes to the bank to get loan,” Wike said.
The minister also defended the Tinubu administration’s record on industrial relations, asking Nigerians to acknowledge what he described as the absence of university strikes during the period.
“Since three years now, has there been any strike in university? Has there been any strike? Let us just say the truth. There has been no strike. We cannot say that this administration has solved every problem, no. But within the three years they have come, they have solved a lot of problems,” he said.
Turning to developments in the FCT, Wike said the Tinubu administration had improved governance and expanded opportunities for residents of the nation’s capital.
He cited the establishment of a Head of Service, a Civil Service Commission and permanent secretary positions, alongside the appointment of secretaries responsible for youth affairs, as examples of improved administrative inclusion.
Wike also highlighted the construction of 12 police stations with residential facilities, which he said would strengthen security, and the provision of roads connecting the six area councils.
On infrastructure, the minister announced that the Apo-Karshi Road, awarded in 2010, would be commissioned in November. He also said the FCT administration planned to commission at least six projects in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) in December.
“By this November, we will commission that road. This December alone, we are going to commission not less than six projects in AMAC alone. Our campaign is our project. Our campaign is to tell you what we have done. Our campaign is that if you give us the support, we will do more,” Wike said.
He urged FCT residents to support Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, presenting the administration’s infrastructure projects and reforms as evidence of its performance.
