The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, stated on Sunday that Nigeria was virtually “dead” before President Bola Tinubu took office.
While acknowledging the country still grapples with major challenges, Wike said the President has made tough but necessary decisions aimed at steering the nation toward recovery.
He also urged Christians to avoid repeating what he called a near-mistake in the 2023 presidential election, warning against choosing future leaders based on sentiments. According to him, the Church almost made a costly error due to emotional attachments during the last election.
Wike made the remarks at Saint James’ Anglican Church in Asokoro, Abuja, where he led a thanksgiving service following the successful commissioning of 16 projects in the FCT.
The minister also criticized Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, accusing him of contradicting the democratic values he often professes.
He said: “The country was dead. It takes hard decisions to bring it back to life. We are aware that we have challenges. But after just two years of a country that had been run down, we expect a miracle worker? It’s not like a prayer where you say, ‘In the name of God, you are healed,’ and it happens instantly. It doesn’t work that way.
“Let me use this opportunity to address the Church – we nearly made the worst mistake in 2023. We must be very careful this time around. It would have been a decision that could have cost some of us our future.
“Ask us questions – we are politicians. Be careful about what we tell you. If nothing had happened, some of us wouldn’t be here today. If you want to understand what’s really going on, call us. Don’t let people use propaganda to blackmail you.
“Some of you have sympathy for someone you don’t even know. That’s how you nearly made us make a mistake – saying Peter Obi was going to become president. President where?!
“For eight years, he was governor. He never conducted local government elections. Never. Back then, Nigerians were not angry. They were happy that he refused to conduct elections for eight good years. And you call that democracy? He was the governor and also the chairman of all the local governments. None of you asked questions.
“Now you say democracy isn’t working – but it worked when he was running everything alone?
Wike also referenced the recent rehabilitation of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, highlighting what he called financial mismanagement by the previous operator, saying “Some people were running the Conference Centre and paying the government just N50 million annually. These same people claim they want to rescue Nigeria. When we visited the Centre, Mr. President said it was an eyesore and not befitting of Nigeria. We shut it down and renovated it within six or seven months. Since then, we have generated over N700 million in just three weeks. Yet, the same people who were paying N50 million a year now say they want to rescue Nigeria. That’s what they want – when you resist them, they try to smear your image.
“People who were in power for eight, even 20 years, had the opportunity to bring development to their states but didn’t. Back then, Nigerians were not angry. Now that they’re no longer in power, Nigerians are suddenly angry. If I say I want to rescue Nigeria, ask me what I did when I had the opportunity. Ask me what I did as governor of Rivers State. I can say, ‘Yes, I did this and that.’ And now, as FCT Minister, I am doing this and that.
“Were the bombings of trains going to Kaduna under Bola Tinubu’s administration? No. That was before. The oil subsidy scam – was Tinubu the president then? No. But now someone has come to say, ‘Enough is enough.’ We can’t continue with a few people making billions off Nigeria. When I was governor, my state never got more than ?14 billion per month. Today, some states are receiving over ?50 billion monthly.”
While acknowledging that more work needs to be done, the minister urged the Church to remain patient and continue praying for the President, he added “All I ask of the Church is to be patient and continue to pray for Mr. President and this administration. Forget those who had the chance to fix Nigeria and failed. They won’t get that chance again.”