Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has publicly dismissed claims that he boycotted a crucial Council of State meeting because his preferred candidate for the chairmanship of the national electoral body was overlooked.
Speaking during a project commissioning in Abuja, Mr. Wike explained that his absence from the meeting, where Professor Joash Amupitan was nominated as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), was due to a pre-arranged official engagement.
“I had already told Mr. President that I would not be available because of other engagements we had already put in place. And so, the Honourable Minister of State represented the FCT in that meeting,” the Minister stated.
Mr. Wike described the reports suggesting a rift with President Bola Tinubu—and that he had pushed for a different judicial figure to head INEC—as “unnecessary propaganda and blackmail.”
The Minister insisted that he remained committed to the President’s vision, arguing that the FCT Administration’s delivery of key projects was the best way to silence critics.
“I work for Mr. President… When you start delivering, the achievement will silence all critics. Today they have nothing again to say,” Mr. Wike added, commending the President for providing the “right leadership” necessary for the FCT’s recent successes.
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