Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT, Nyesom Wike, has declared that the just-concluded Area Council elections have effectively separated the nation’s true political players from “roadside” pretenders who patronize corn sellers before the cameras.
In a sternly worded assessment of the Saturday polls, the minister maintained that the voting patterns across the territory have clearly defined the difference between the ruling party and the genuine opposition in Nigeria’s evolving democracy.
Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the minister, Lere Olayinka, in a statement on Sunday night said the minister made the assessment in a special national broadcast monitored on Sunday evening.
Nothing that Wike hailed the peaceful conduct of the exercise, the statement said the minister argued that the results served as a public rejection of politicians who employ populist gimmicks to win over the electorate, specifically mocking those who attempt to identify with the masses only during election cycles.
“The election has further exposed the hypocrisy of people who go about buying corn and groundnut from roadside sellers for the purpose of campaign just to deceive Nigerians,” Wike stated.
He added that residents of the FCT demonstrated they “cannot be deceived by emergency democrats, who have chosen not to see anything good in our country and its government.”
The minister credited the successful outing to the visionary leadership of President Bola Tinubu, asserting that the “Renewed Hope Agenda” has restored public confidence in the democratic process.
While congratulating both the All Progressives Congress APC and the Peoples Democratic Party PDP for their respective victories at the polls, Wike noted that the participation of various candidates proved that the “majority will always have its way” while the voice of the minority is still heard.
Wike commended the president for his commitment to electoral integrity, specifically pointing to the administration’s support for amending the Electoral Act to strengthen the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC.
He praised the electoral body and security agencies for maintaining order and transparency, which he claimed allowed the true will of the people to prevail.
Addressing the newly elected council officials, the minister urged them to view their mandates as a call to service rather than a trophy of war. “You have been given a mandate to serve the people, and I urge you to do so with humility, dedication, and commitment to excellence,” he remarked.
He reassured residents, particularly those in the satellite towns, that the FCT Administration remains committed to delivering infrastructure and development in line with the president’s agenda.
