Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed recent coalition efforts by opposition figures as self-serving political moves, declaring that their so-called mission to “rescue Nigeria” is nothing more than a desperate attempt to return to power and secure personal benefits.
Speaking at a Thanksgiving service at Saint James Anglican Church, Asokoro, Abuja, Wike ridiculed the credibility of political actors behind the new coalition, questioning their motives and track records.
“To rescue who? You want to rescue your stomach. It’s not Nigerians you want to rescue,” Wike said pointedly. “In 1999, you were in one party. In 2006, you jumped to another. In 2014, you moved again. In 2019, you came back. Now, in 2025, you’ve formed another alliance. You can’t stay out of power for two years.”
Wike took direct jabs at former leaders, including ex-governors, speakers, and ministers, who he accused of achieving little while in office but now claim they can fix Nigeria.
“Someone was Senate President for eight years and couldn’t build a road to his local government. He had to fly a helicopter home. Now he wants to rescue Nigeria?” Wike queried.
He also took a swipe at Labour Party’s Peter Obi without mentioning him directly, criticizing his tenure as Anambra State governor.
“For eight years, he didn’t conduct local government elections. He was governor and LG chairman rolled into one. And you call that democracy? And now you’re saying he will be president—president where?” he said.
Wike argued that many of the opposition voices now speaking loudly about hardship and governance failure were silent or inactive when they held the reins of power. “You were speaker, governor, minister—for years. And you didn’t know Nigerians were suffering? Now that you’re out, suddenly Nigerians are angry?” he said.
While launching this scathing critique, Wike also used the opportunity to reinforce his support for President Bola Tinubu’s reforms, especially the removal of the petrol subsidy, which he described as a courageous step toward economic recovery.
“The country was dead. The oil subsidy was a scam. Past leaders lacked the courage to act, but Tinubu did, and we’re already seeing the benefits,” he said, citing increased state allocations and improved project funding.
He credited the transformation of the FCT to President Tinubu’s decision to remove the territory from the Treasury Single Account (TSA), enabling faster execution of infrastructure projects.
Wike also highlighted the turnaround at the Bola Tinubu International Conference Centre, revealing that it had already generated over ₦700 million in just three weeks post-renovation—up from ₦50 million annually under previous administrations.
“People used to be ashamed of the place. We shut it down, fixed it, and today it’s something Nigerians can be proud of,” he stated.
Promising more infrastructure projects in the year ahead, Wike assured residents of significant progress. “All the roads you see today were in terrible shape. Just give us one more year,” he said.
The event also featured a special moment as the officiating pastor requested the inclusion of the Piwoyi–Zhidu road in the next FCT budget—an appeal Wike promised to consider. The church honored the minister with the title of “Ambassador of Christ” during the service.
