Wike to Nigerians: Move from politics of our turn to our responsibility

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has urged Nigerians to move from the politics of entitlement to the politics of responsibility, saying power must be seen as a public trust, not personal property.

Wike stated this on Thursday while delivering the keynote address at the maiden Idoma Hall of Fame induction ceremony in collaboration with Ochetoha K’Idoma, as part of the Idoma Centenary Plus celebration.

The address was titled “People, olitics and Power Play in Nigeria: The Agitation for Equity and Fairness.”

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Wike, who thanked the organisers for the honour, said the Idoma Hall of Fame was more than a celebration of individuals, but an institution for preserving heritage and inspiring future generations.

He said Nigeria’s diversity remains its greatest asset but has made access to power one of the most sensitive issues, noting that politics in Nigeria is about representation, recognition, security and opportunity.

The Minister asked what Nigerians really mean when they demand equity and fairness, stressing that it should mean fair opportunity for every Nigerian to participate, compete for office and benefit from public institutions.

Citing the 1999 Constitution, Wike said sovereignty belongs to the people and that political office is a public trust, warning against converting public power into private possession.

He said when power is seen as an avenue for sectional domination, those outside the circle experience the state as an alien institution, leading to grievances and mobilisation around marginalisation.

Wike noted that the Constitution’s federal character principle, under Sections 14(3) and 14(4), was designed to ensure no section feels the state belongs to others and to prevent predominance of a few groups.

He, however, questioned representation for what purpose, saying if diversity only changes identities of those who access resources without changing how power is exercised, it becomes mere redistribution of privilege.

“The true test of fairness is not what we demand when we are losing, but what we are prepared to defend when we are winning,” Wike said, adding that justice must be defended even when it does not favour one’s group.

He said Nigeria needs a conception of equity beyond “is my person there?” to questions of whether the process is fair, merit is respected, and whether an arrangement would still be considered just if beneficiaries belonged to another group.

On power-sharing mechanisms like federalism, creation of states, federal character, zoning and rotation, Wike said they have provided accommodation but cannot alone create fairness without a political culture that sees power as trust for the whole country.

He warned against a gap between elite accommodation and citizens’ daily realities of jobs, schools, healthcare, roads and electricity, noting that inclusion must translate to public value and service delivery.

Wike cited World Bank’s Nigeria Poverty and Equity Brief of October 2024 on spatial poverty disparities and weak job creation, saying political inclusion cannot be sustained without economic inclusion.

He urged a shift from “our turn” to “our responsibility,” asking what leaders will do with power when it comes, how to make the national cake larger, and what office achieves for the people.

The Minister called for building strong institutions that make justice less dependent on who occupies office, distinguishing between equality, equity and justice to ensure every child is not punished by birthplace.

He decried declining voter turnout, from 53.7 per cent in 2011 to 26.7 per cent in 2023, according to INEC, saying democracy cannot flourish when citizens are seen only as voters to be mobilised.

Wike said fairness is not achieved by sacrificing merit, but by building institutions capable of achieving inclusion without sacrificing excellence and excellence without reproducing exclusion.

On the Idoma Hall of Fame, he said that by choosing whom to honour, the institution sets standards for what the community values, urging that the Idoma story be told not as grievance but as contribution to Nigeria.

He concluded that Nigeria belongs to all its peoples – Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Ijaw, Kanuri, Tiv, Idoma, Ikwerre, Efik, Ibibio, Edo, Nupe, Gwari and others – and no Nigerian should need permission to feel at home.

“The question before us is no longer simply: Who gets power? The more important question is: What do we do with power when we get it?” Wike said.