President Bola Tinubu says the appointment of Nyesom Wike as the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is one of best by his administration.
Tinubu, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, spoke in Abuja on Wednesday when he commissioned the extension of the Inner Southern Expressway (ISEX) and the Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX) to the Southern Parkway.
“As we celebrate this achievement, it is crucial once again to acknowledge the concerted efforts of the FCT Minister, Chief Barrister Ezenwo Nyesom Wike and his team, and all stakeholders involved, including private sector partners,” he said.
“As I said the last time, Wike is a force of human nature. Love him, hate him, but you cannot ignore him because at every point in time, he is striving to redefine the meaning and concept of leadership. Wike is one of the best appointments ever made in the history of the current democratic dispensation in this country.”
Tinubu said “all my brothers and sisters who opposed his (Wike’s) appointment are now hailing him”.
“He is an exemplary leader, worthy of emulation by us all. He is a very mercurial partner; unfortunately, leadership has turned down that tempo.
“The whole political space is populated by careful friends. But now he has stopped dancing, he has stopped singing, but he is still performing.”
Wike is the only member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who serves in the administration of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). His appointment as minister last August sparked ripples within the APC circles but the President was unfazed.
Wike, former Rivers State governor, was a focal figure in the then G5 group of governors within the PDP who worked for APC’s Tinubu and worked against the PDP flag bearer, Atiku Abubakar, in the 2023 presidential poll.