Politics

Why I Work With Tinubu — Wike

Published

3 years ago

October 14, 2023

The Minister of the Federal Capita Territory, FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike, has revealed why he decided to work with President Bola Tinubu in spite of, among other things, being in the opposition party.

Wike, a former two-term governor of Rivers State on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, made the revelation at a news conference on Friday in Abuja.

Wike said President Tinubu has the capacity and political will to take decisions and do things others are afraid of.

According to Wike, “One of the reasons I accepted to work with Mr. President is because he has the capacity and political will to do those things that people are afraid of doing.

“The problem of this country is partly leadership because so many people don’t want to take actions as they believe that some people will be angry.

“There is no action you take that everybody will be happy. But what is important is that you are guided by law and your conscience.”

He then went on to explain the reformations Tinubu has brought to the FCT’s civil service.

FCT Civil Service Commission
Wike said: “The Central bank (CBN) cannot give us loans, and even the IGR is spent as it comes and you cannot tangibly do anything with it.

“I said to Mr. President if you want FCT to really carry out its developmental projects and infrastructure, then it must come out of TSA (Treasury Single Account).

“We (FCT Administration) are not a revenue-generating agency of the Federal Government. Then what financial leakages are you plugging? The revenue comes in and it will go to the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and we need money to do projects.

“I cannot go to the Central Bank to ask them to give us money, and I can’t go to the commercial banks. They will ask how do you pay back?

“So, I said we must pull out, that is the only way we can survive it.

“Mr. President graciously agreed with us and approved that we should pull out of the Single Treasury Account. TSA.

“You will see that from next year it will be projects upon projects in FCT. And with what you saw in Port Harcourt, Abuja would be something else. So for us, it is one of the happiest days, and we have to thank Mr. President for the foresight.”

He said for several years, a lot of issues in the FCT were stalled due to lack of political will to see then through.

Political will

The Minister of FCT said: “There is this fear that ‘if I do this, people will kick against it’.

“But it is not personal. It is about the growth of the city, welfare of the civil servants and the interest of the women – our mothers, sisters and wives.

“For many years this fight has been on. But in just few months, Mr. President has done it. That is the essence of the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

“Civil Servants in the FCTA were stagnated because they could only become directors and not rise to permanent secretaries.

“Before now, then Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had, as Acting President, signed a law to create the FCT Civil Service Commission. But the law has never been implemented.

“So, I went to Mr President and explained why we had to implement it in his administration. And he has graciously approved the creation of the Commission.

“Mr President has also approved the creation of a secretariat for women.

“You can imagine having an administration as large as this and there is no secretariat for women.

“So, the President has approved the creation of a Mandate Secretariat for Women Affairs. It is just like we have the Ministry of Women Affairs in the states,” Wike stressed on his work with Tinubu.

Politics

Crisis Hits APC Govs Forum As 18 Rejects Uzodinma’s Removal

Published

8 hours ago

May 8, 2026

Editor

A serious crisis is currently brewing in the Progressive Governors’ Forum following the sudden removal of the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, as its chairman.

Reports had it earlier that a cross-section of All Progressives Congress, APC, governors removed Uzodinma and installed the Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, as its chairman.

Although the Director-General of the forum, Folorunso Aluko, in a statement on Friday, said the reports of Uzodinma’s removal were fake and misleading, sources privy to the matter confirmed to DAILY POST that some governors met on Thursday night and removed Uzodinma.

The meeting, according to reports, was led by the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, and was held at the Ogun Government Lodge.

However, in a swift move to counter the decision of the Abiodun-led group, 18 other governors met behind closed doors at the Imo Lodge on Friday and passed a vote of confidence in Uzodinma.

Some of those present at the meeting included the governors of Ondo, Kaduna, Taraba, Sokoto, Ebonyi, Borno, Lagos, Kogi, Kano, Yobe, Kebbi, Benue and Jigawa states, while Nasarawa State was represented by its deputy governor.

Speaking on the unfolding events, Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State said: “All of us woke up to that very unfortunate story, which was virtually in all the media in Nigeria. But the truth of the matter is that the APC Progressive Governors’ Forum is very united.

“We are stronger now than at any other time. And, of course, we are all supporting the president for what he has been doing.

“We also want to assure everyone that the APC is united, the governors are united, the forum is united, and there is no problem at all.”

Politics

BREAKING: APC Governors Forum Splits As Uzodimma, Abiodun Lead Rival Factions

Published

9 hours ago

May 8, 2026

Editor

The Progressive Governors Forum, PGF, has been factionalised.

The rival factions emerged after its chairman, Governor Hope Uzodimma, was reportedly removed on Thursday.

While Uzodimma insisted that he remains PGF chairman, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq are leading a separate faction.

Another bloc within the forum has reportedly aligned behind Abiodun and AbdulRazaq.

The development, which comes amid growing political realignments within the ruling party, marks a significant crack within the ranks of APC governors ahead of the 2027 general elections.

According to reports by Arise TV, details surrounding the disagreement remain unclear, but sources within the party said tensions had been building over internal leadership control and strategic positioning ahead of the next election season.

DAILY POST reports that, as of the time of filing this report, none of the factions had officially released a detailed statement on the cause of the division.

Politics

2027: Why We Called On Goodluck Jonathan To Run For Presidency – Ohikere

Published

1 day ago

May 7, 2026

Editor

Supporters of former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan have explained why they marched to his office, urging him to run in the 2027 presidential election.

While addressing the Coalition for Jonathan 2027 in Abuja on Thursday, its National President, Tom Ohikere, said the group was motivated by concerns over the state of the country.

Ohikere, on behalf of the coalition, appealed to the former president to “save Nigeria from impending collapse.”

He recalled an earlier visit to Jonathan on April 8, 2026, during which the group first appealed to him to contest the 2027 election.

The coalition noted that it had yet to receive a clear response from the former president and expressed concern that he had not picked up a nomination form from any political party.

According to them, Jonathan should commit to the race, obtain a presidential nomination form from any party of his choice, and contest the election, pledging to mobilise support for him across the country.

“Last month, April 8, 2026, the Coalition for Jonathan 2027 paid a friendly visit to Your Excellency to urge you to run in the 2027 presidential election to save Nigeria from impending collapse. Though we did not meet you in person, we believe that our message was unreservedly passed on to you, as it was to the entire Nigerian people through the media.

“Since then, we have had little information as to whether you have yielded to our clarion call, as you have not yet, to our knowledge, picked up a nomination form for the presidential contest in any registered political party.

“Because of our genuine fear of a possible collapse of Nigeria, as peace and unity are now gradually eluding all of us, we decided to march to your office again today, hoping you will step out to receive us and make a statement that will gladden our hearts and the entire nation.

“We are asking you to hear our cries and contest the 2027 presidential election, sir. This mammoth crowd that came with us here today is a fragment of your supporters nationwide and represents every tribe, tongue, and religious belief in this country. We, young and old, girls and boys, men and women, are all here crying for your voice to say ‘yes’ to our request,” Ohikere said.

Recall that Jonathan had hinted at the possibility of returning to the presidential race in 2027, saying he would “consult widely” following growing calls for him to contest.

Jonathan made the remark while responding to members of the Coalition for Jonathan 2027 who marched to his office to urge him to run for president in the next general election.

“Presidential race is not a computer game, but I heard you, and I will consult widely. But the most important thing is that Nigeria should have young people who will plan for our grandchildren,” Jonathan said.