Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has defended his promise to pay councillors N10 million each for delivering their respective wards ahead of the 2027 general elections, insisting that the offer is a reward for political mobilisation and not an attempt to buy votes.
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Key Highlights
- Wike says his N10 million pledge to councillors who deliver their wards is a reward for mobilisation, not vote-buying.
- The pledge is part of efforts to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
- He compared it to rewards given to athletes who win international competitions.
- Wike faulted sections of the media for failing to distinguish vote-buying from rewards for political performance.
- He said ISEX 2, Southern Parkway and S1 Road projects will be completed by December 15.
Wike dismissed criticisms trailing the promise, arguing that there is nothing wrong with offering financial incentives to political mobilisers who demonstrate commitment and deliver electoral results.
The minister reportedly made the N10 million pledge to councillors as part of efforts to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
‘I Didn’t Tell Them To Buy Votes’
Speaking on Tuesday during an inspection tour of ongoing infrastructure projects in Abuja, Wike insisted that he never instructed the councillors to share money among voters or induce them to support any political candidate.
“I didn’t tell them, take this money and go and buy votes. I said, go and work. Show commitment. Demonstrate that you really mean what you are talking about. When you win, come and we are going to reward you,” he said.
Wike argued that rewarding political mobilisation is not fundamentally different from offering incentives to athletes who win international competitions.
He cited instances where athletes are promised houses and other benefits for winning trophies, questioning why similar reward arrangements in politics should be automatically regarded as bribery.
The minister also faulted sections of the media for what he described as their failure to distinguish between vote-buying and legitimate rewards for political performance.
He argued that political parties and candidates routinely spend money on campaign advertisements and other mobilisation activities without attracting similar levels of criticism.
Wike challenged journalists to properly examine the difference between financial inducements intended to influence voters’ choices and rewards promised to political actors for delivering specific political targets.
His comments come amid growing political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the FCT minister openly backing Tinubu’s re-election.
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FCT Projects To Be Completed by December 15
During the inspection tour, Wike also expressed satisfaction with the progress of ongoing infrastructure projects being handled by the FCT Administration, including Interchange Section 2 (ISEX 2), Southern Parkway and S1 Road, which incorporates a fire station.
He said the projects were progressing as scheduled and would be completed by December 15, ahead of the January 16, 2027 elections.
The minister maintained that the infrastructure projects executed under Tinubu’s administration would provide a strong basis for the President’s re-election campaign.
He further insisted that his support for Tinubu was driven by the administration’s development agenda rather than party affiliation, arguing that Nigerians who genuinely desire progress should support policies and programmes capable of advancing national development.
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