2027: FCT Minister rallies FCT stakeholders to support President Tinubu, Aduda, Chiya, Gabaya

FCTA PRESS RELEASE

2027: FCT Minister rallies FCT stakeholders to support President Tinubu, Aduda, Chiya, Gabaya

-Promises more road projects, better welfare for councilors and women inclusivity

FCT Minister, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike has called on stakeholders in the Federal Capital Territory to set aside party differences and work for the continuous development of the territory, which, he said would only be possible through their collective support for the reelection of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The Minister who made the call on Monday, November 9, 2026 during a stakeholders interactive meeting in Kwali Area Council of the FCT, described the President as a true leader who is not afraid of making difficult decisions for the betterment of FCT and the nation at large.

“The president is indeed, a true politician, a true leader. The kind of decision the president is taking or has taken is not what a typical politician would take, knowing fully well that second tenure is coming. That’s what you call leadership, bringing us out from the fake life we are living to the reality, and that is what a good leader should be able to do for his people”, the Minister stated.

The Minister commended the Area Council Chairmen and the chairmen of the APC and the PDP in the FCT, for working together and with the FCT Administration, despite their different political affiliation, adding that their cooperation has accelerated development in the territory in the last three years.

“Let me thank our council chairmen, every one of them, and the two powerful chairmen of APC and PDP for working together, and I pray to God to make you more united to work for the interest of the people of FCT.

“When the two parties, strong parties in FCT have agreed to work together for the interest of their people, we should commend them. We are not talking about party, we are talking about the interest of the people. Party is only a vehicle that takes you to leadership, when you get there it becomes about development and good governance and how it will be well for your people”, he stated.

The FCT Minister also commended past council chairmen, women groups and youths in Kwali for throwing their weight behind the rainbow coalition movement and for working for the interest of the FCT.

While commending the Former Chairman of Kwali and now APC House of Representatives candidate for Abuja south, Hon. Danladi Chiya, Wike urged residents to support him, expressing optimism that he (Chiya) will win the seat, adding that God’s time is the best and the time has come for Kwali area council to represent Abuja south in the house of representatives.

Contrasting current representation with past leadership, the Minister urged residents not to repeat the electoral mistakes of 2023 when representatives failed to identify with the electorate. He declared that voters in the FCT have resolved to correct their mistake by voting for accessible leaders who understand community needs.

“You see, I like people who can come out to say, Look, we made a mistake. There’s nothing wrong in accepting that you made a mistake. Anytime you wake up is your morning. Now that you’re waking up, you will not repeat that mistake. You will now elect somebody that can sit down with you and discuss with you. Somebody who understands your problem, when you have stomach problem, when you have headache, you can run to, that’s what we call representation. But unfortunately, in 2023, all of us from FCT, even though Kwali may have voted, but their vote didn’t go anywhere.

“So all of us in FCT made that mistake by voting for somebody whom we do not understand, somebody who came, as if we are in Oyinbo land here. You don’t communicate to the people by only appearing on television. Go and talk to them. Let them tell you what their problems are. Come and see their problems, they will explain to you. Thank God you are bringing back your son Philip Tanimu Aduda, I salute you”, the Minister said.

The Minister also took time to advise the Kwali Area council chairman, Hon. Nuhu, Daniel Kwali, urging him to make good use of his office, carry his people along and aim high. He said, “Mr. Chairman of Council, let me advise. Make good of the office. Like you started, don’t allow the good things in office to enter your head. Local government makes or mars any politician. By the time you’re a council chairman, prepare that you’re going forward or you’re retiring. When you do well, you climb. But when you abandon your people, and allow the paraphernalia of office to take you away, that’s how you go down”.

Highlighting his political career, the Minister said, “There’s nothing that’s impossible in life. Just be focused, be committed, and submit yourself to God. Challenges will come, but by the grace of God, you will surmount those challenges. I’ve seen what you started. The people have been praising you. Take it that they want you to continue to do the good things. Don’t stop. God will take you to higher place”.

Speaking on infrastructure, the FCT Minister assured that work will soon recommence on the uncompleted Kwaita-Yebu road, citing the lack of capacity on the part of the contractor and subsequent cancellation of the contract for the delay. He said, “the contractor has no capacity, I will cancel the contract. I’ll give it to those who have capacity because I want the good of the people. So be assured, you will have a committed contractor to complete this road”.

The Minister also promised to intervene in the Ebbo bridge, linking Abaji and Kuje.

On Women inclusivity in governance, the Minister lamented the inadequate representation of women in the 62 councillorship seats in the FCT with only two women councilors

“Let me thank all the counselors of FCT that came here. But I want to appeal, out of 62, here you have only two women. Please, next time, improve on the number of women, so that there can be more inclusivity of women. I’m not denying the men their job. I’m only saying that our wives, our daughters should be part of the system. So that’s what I will say”, he said.

The Minister also expressed shock at remuneration of councilors in the FCT, which he said was too low and wondered why it was not the same as what obtains in states of the Federation.

“I was shocked when I asked the former chairman, and they said that is the salary of the counselors in FCT. I said, don’t they earn the same with other counselors? They said, no. I said, why? They said, Well, that is what it is. That is not acceptable.” He assured that steps will be taken to address the issue while promising to mobilise them specially to take the Rainbow Coalition campaign to the grassroot.

“And let me so tell you this, for this election, I’m going to mobilize you specially. I will mobilize you specially for this election to tell them that we are ready. We are not just talking. So, for the councillor, you have a task. Anybody who delivers his ward, if you deliver your ward, that is what the Rainbow Coalition has decided to do as a mobilization and support for Mr. President. We want to start it with FCT, as a mobilization for Mr. President to win this election, we’re saying that any councillor that delivers his ward, any councillor that does the work, delivers his ward, will get 10 million”.

On the political status of the FCT, the Minister argued that residents had been shortchanged in national representation, adding that correcting the imbalance would ensure fairness for residents of the FCT and strengthen democratic participation across the territory.

“Let us tell ourselves the truth. If we will tell ourselves the truth, can we say Nigeria is fair to FCT? Certainly not. If we must tell ourselves the truth, you know in this country, people are scared of saying the truth. How can you say a people of population of about six to seven million will have only one senator and three house of representatives? There are states that are not up to 5 million population, they have three senators, some of them have eight local government, they have almost nine to 10 house of representatives.

“The truth of the matter is, when we know that this is wrong, it’s wrong. As the president broke that jinx of 15 years, of you not having anybody to speak for you at the federal executive council, he will also break this jinx”, Wike stressed.

The Executive Chairman of Kwali Area Council, Hon. Nuhu Daniel Kwali on his part, thanked the FCT Minister for transforming the territory’s political and infrastructure landscape, stating that “since the inception of FCT, we have not gotten the opportunity and privilege for the people of FCT to smile”.

Hon. Kwali praised the Minister’s visionary leadership for empowering the next generation of leaders and breaking gender barriers by enabling him to appoint the council’s first female vice chairperson. He expressed profound gratitude for the immense structural developments in the region, noting that the minister’s extensive road projects completely reshaped local governance and eased his recent campaign tour.

Hon. Kwali described the Minister as a transformative leader destined to rewrite the political history of the nation’s capital. Assuring the Minister of the unalloyed loyalty of his constituents, the Chairman affirmed that the people of Kwali Area Council remained loyal, ready to follow his instructions and deliver the votes of the electorates in Kwali during the January 16 general elections.

In their separate address, the APC and PDP chairmen in the FCT, Tanko Yamawo and Mohammed Dogara both thanked the minister for uniting the FCT and for leaving a legacy that will be remembered forever.

The Etsu of Kwali, HRM Luka Ayedoo Nizassan III, appreciated the FCT Minister for elevating traditional rulers in the Federal Capital Territory, empowering and supporting youth development through the appointment of youths into key positions in government, and for large scale infrastructural development. He assured the Minister that because he had responded to the yearnings of the people, it was now time for the people to reciprocate the Minister’s good gesture.

“Your Excellency, under your watch, we saw FCT being transformed through the provision of infrastructure… you upgraded me to first class and those blessings went around…These demands have been met. It is our turn to supply. Your excellency, be reassured that we are making a commitment this afternoon. That by the grace of God, we are behind the president. And we will throw our weight behind him like we’ve never done for any president. The reasons are because he has done his lot and it’s our turn to do our lot”, he said.

Representative of the Women in the Rainbow Coalition in Kwali Area Council, Mrs Abigael Etsu, expressed appreciation to the Minister for the good work he had done in Kwali Area Council and in the FCT. She thanked him for appointing residents of Kwali Area Council into key positions in his administration, and appealed to him to further carry the women along by increasing the representation of women.

During the event, the 62 councillors in the FCT speaking through a representative, also took the opportunity to appreciate the Minister and pledge their allegiance, promising to go to their wards and campaign massively for the reelection of the president and the three APC candidates in the FCT for the National Assembly. They however appealed to the Minister to revisit their remuneration as councilors which, they said was still very meagre, far below the national average and which had not been reviewed in about 19 years.

President of the FCT Stakeholders Assembly of the Rainbow Coalition Movement, Dr Aliyu Daniel Bakna Kwali, decried a situation where FCT electorates made the mistake of electing a person that could not adequately represent the people. He however said they were grateful people, so they were going to vote the President in 2027, adding that “We have a friend in the Honourable Minister, we have a son in Senator Philip Aduda”. He also to appeal to the FCT Minister to send an executive bill to the National Assembly requesting for increased representations for the FCT in the Senate, and in the House of Representatives respectively.

RABI MUSA UMAR

DEPUTY DIRECTOR, PRESS

(OFFICE OF THE HON. MINISTER)

FCTA/ODP/PR/924

9/11/26