By Lateef Ibrahim
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, has taken a swipe at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, describing him as a “serial contestant and loser” who may still contest the presidency in 2031.
Wike made the remarks on Thursday during an inspection of ongoing road projects in Abuja, while responding to Atiku’s recent criticism of the administration’s performance.
He dismissed Atiku’s comments as unfounded, insisting that the former vice president lacks credibility to assess the current state of development in the FCT.
Wike challenged Atiku to compare infrastructure in the FCT during his time in office with what is currently on the ground, arguing that significant improvements have been made.
Reiterating his stance, the minister said political criticism would not distract the government from its development agenda, stressing that governance must continue irrespective of election cycles.
He also assured residents that major infrastructure projects across Abuja were progressing steadily, including the Airport–Kuje road and the Kuje–Gwagwalada dualisation project, both of which he said were nearing completion and expected to be delivered in phases before the end of May.
According to him, the ongoing projects are part of broader efforts to ease congestion in the capital city and stimulate development in satellite towns such as Kuje.
Wike also dismissed allegations by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) that the FCT Administration interfered with its plans for a party convention, challenging the party to substantiate its claims.
He maintained that due process must be followed in the use of public facilities and reiterated that his focus remains on delivering infrastructure across the FCT.
