Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, has vowed to resigned as a member of the federal cabinet if President Bola Tinubu failed to win both River States and the FCT in the presidential election scheduled for January 16, 2027.
He said this on Wednesday in Abuja at a stakeholders’ parley with the members of the Apo Mechanics and Traders Association led by its President General, Chief Chimezie Ifeh, to resolve the long-standing relocation and land allocation exercise for thousands of traders and mechanics operating within the Apo Mechanic Village corridor by the FCT Administration.
The former Rivers State governor, stated that his continued relevance as a cabinet minister would be directly tied to his ability to deliver political victory for the president in his primary areas of influence.
“If I cannot deliver where I work, then I’m not worthy to be here. If I lose FCT, I’m not supposed to be FCT Minister. By January 17, 2027, I will announce my resignation as FCT Minister should the President lose in Rivers State and the FCT,” he said.
The minister, who stressed that his political mandate required concrete electoral success, also outlined his political strategy for the territory, saying the administration was building a rainbow coalition to secure victory across various elective offices in the FCT.
He affirmed total support for reelection of the president while also backing candidates of the ruling party across legislative tiers in the six Area Councils.
“Let us be clear on direction: for the Presidency, it is Bola Ahmed Tinubu! For the Senate, Philip Aduda is a man of the people, unlike those who only appear on television.
“The two House of Representatives candidates we are supporting are also here. They are former Area Council chairmen.
“In the FCT, we are running a unified coalition across parties to deliver results. If I cannot deliver FCT as Minister, then I am not qualified to hold this office. We have a firm agreement, and today is the final affirmation,” Wike declared.
The traders’ relocation, which has dragged on since 2015, had previously been hindered by internal disputes over beneficiary lists.
Their leadership recalled that earlier administrative attempts that asked association heads to compile names were heavily abused, with non-traders, relatives, and “ghost” entries crowding out genuine workshop operators.
Ifeh raised concerns over historic lack of engagement and unfulfilled 2015 land promises, while the trader leadership overwhelmingly agreed that direct physical enumeration was the only way to safeguard genuine operators.
To prevent further bureaucratic friction, Wike said supervision of the exercise had been stripped from the Abuja Municipal Management Council (AMMC) and placed under his direct office, spearheaded by his Chief of Staff, the Director of Land, the Director of Urban Planning, and the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).
Addressing the mechanics’ concerns, Wike granted a three-day grace window for any uncaptured, legitimate shop owners to undergo physical enumeration alongside two designated trade association representatives.
“During the enumeration, we will physically verify the people sitting there. There won’t be any ghost entries,” Wike stressed, warning that anyone listed who failed to show up in person during inspection would be permanently omitted.
According to FCTA technical directors, over 4,000 verified beneficiaries would receive customised plot sizes depending on their line of trade.
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