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The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has warned that President Bola Tinubu’s eventual victory would not absolve campaign coordinators who fail to secure electoral support in their assigned states.
Speaking on Wednesday at the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council in Abuja, Wike said campaign appointments must produce results, insisting that officials should be judged by their individual contributions.
“If you don’t deliver your state and the President wins, don’t say we have won. It is not a question of I am chairman of this, I am secretary of this, I am a member of this,” he said.
Wike, named coordinator for Rivers State and the FCT, said officials must accept responsibility for mobilisation in their territories rather than take credit solely from the national outcome.
Recalling a conversation with the Chief of Staff to the President, he used Lagos State to illustrate his position.
“If you don’t win in Lagos, don’t say we have won,” he quoted himself as saying.
The former Rivers governor pledged to secure substantial support for Tinubu in his two assigned territories.
“Simple, there is no too much work for me. It’s Rivers and FCT, and let me say and pledge, by the grace of God, Rivers and FCT will vote massively for Bola Ahmed Tinubu. That is my job,” he said.
He said that the administration’s presence in the FCT’s area councils would provide a basis for seeking votes.
“Rivers and FCT, it is taken. I challenge any area council that can say they don’t see the presence of Mr President,” he said.
Wike also asserted that he was the sole leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), claiming authority to speak on its behalf.
“For me, as an opposition party member, as the leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, there are not two leaders of the PDP. I’m the leader of the PDP, so I speak on behalf of the Peoples Democratic Party,” he said.
Defending his support for Tinubu despite his opposition party affiliation, Wike said democracy required politicians to acknowledge effective governance as well as identify shortcomings.
“Democracy allows the opposition to be there to look at things that the ruling party have not concentrated on and say these are the issues you are not tackling.
“Democracy is not that if the ruling party is doing well, because you are in opposition, you say they are not doing well. That is not democracy,” he said.
The minister praised Tinubu for what he described as the political will to address longstanding national problems, citing the proposed establishment of state police.
He expressed confidence that the proposal would secure legislative approval in the coming months, saying previous administrations had recognised the need without bringing it into effect.
“By the grace of God, in the next few months, I’m sure that will be passed to have state police in Nigeria. That is leadership,” he said.
Wike also defended the inclusion of opposition politicians in the campaign council, saying Tinubu had indicated that those outside the APC who could contribute should be accommodated.
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