The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has urged opposition parties to acknowledge policies and achievements of President Bola Tinubu’s administration where justified, warning that rejecting everything the government does for political reasons undermines democracy.
Wike spoke on Wednesday at the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council at the State House, Abuja, where he pledged to mobilise votes for Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
The former Rivers State governor said the opposition should focus on identifying gaps in governance and holding the ruling party accountable rather than opposing every policy.
“Democracy does not mean that the opposition must oppose everything,” he said. “The opposition should say, ‘These are the issues you are not tackling.’”
He added, “If the ruling party is doing well and the opposition insists that it is not doing well simply because it is the opposition, that is not democracy.”
Wike cited the proposed establishment of state police as an example of an issue that successive administrations had recognised as important to tackling insecurity but had failed to address decisively.
He expressed optimism that progress would be made towards establishing state police in the coming months, arguing that confronting difficult national challenges was a sign of leadership.
The minister also reaffirmed his claim to the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, despite his support for Tinubu, amid the party’s continuing leadership disputes.
“For me, as a member of the opposition and as the leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, let me make it clear: there are not two leaders of the PDP. I am the leader of the PDP, and I speak on behalf of the Peoples Democratic Party,” he said.
Wike disclosed that he had been assigned to coordinate Tinubu’s re-election campaign in Rivers State and the FCT, promising to mobilise substantial support for the President in both territories.
He said campaign coordinators should be judged by the votes they deliver rather than their titles or positions.
“It is not a question of saying that I am the chairman of this, the secretary of that, or a member of this committee. What is important is the result you deliver,” he said.
Wike warned political appointees against celebrating a national victory if Tinubu failed to secure the expected support in their areas of responsibility.
He also challenged the FCT’s six area councils to back the President, arguing that residents should support the administration based on what he described as its impact on the territory.
The minister expressed confidence in the campaign and said he expected to return on January 16, 2027, to give thanks to God.
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