Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has pledged to pay N10 million to each councillor who helps President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress win their ward in the 2027 elections, positioning local officials as a central part of the administration’s re-election machinery.
Wike made the offer Monday at a Rainbow Coalition stakeholders’ meeting in Kwali Area Council, attended by traditional rulers, political stakeholders and residents.
“Any councillor that delivers his ward will get N10 million reward,” he said, urging them to mobilise party leaders, youth groups and community associations.
The pledge signals an intensifying effort to secure the FCT for Mr. Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general election. Mr. Wike framed the councillors as the administration’s “foot soldiers,” telling them to take the president’s message directly into their communities.
He also endorsed Senator Philip Aduda for the FCT Senate seat and Danladi Chiya for the Abuja South federal constituency, while asserting that Kwali, Gwagwalada and Abaji were “100 percent” for the APC.
Wike used the gathering to criticise opposition politicians’ response to a Federal High Court judgment that removed the David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress and nullified decisions including Atiku Abubakar’s nomination as the party’s presidential candidate.
He accused the opposition of applying different standards to judicial rulings—praising the courts when they win and alleging political interference when they lose. “When it is good for you, the judiciary is clear. When it is bad, you claim they are using it to destroy democracy,” Wike said.
The minister defended Mr. Tinubu’s record in the capital, saying no administration had done more for the FCT. He cited road construction across satellite towns—including more than 270 kilometres of roads, 95 kilometres of them in Kwali—as evidence of the government’s investment.
Wike also pointed to the creation of the FCT Civil Service Commission, the appointment of an FCT head of service, financial autonomy for area councils and infrastructure upgrades as achievements he said residents should reward at the polls.
