Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, has denounced insinuations that he boycotted the Council of State meeting after he fell out with President Bola Tinubu over the non-appointment of his preferred candidate as the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Wike, who made this assertion on Wednesday at the commissioning of access roads in Dakibiyu District, described the allegation as cheap blackmail and mere propaganda.
He said the FCT Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, was delegated to represent him at the Council of State meeting to cover up for his unavailability arising from prior engagements with the knowledge of the President.
“Sometime last Thursday, we had a flag-off, and I told the Minister of State, FCT, to represent me at the Council of State meeting. I had already told Mr. President that I would not be available because of other engagements we had already put in place.
“So, the Honourable Minister of State represented the FCT in that meeting. We have to be careful, when people carry unnecessary propaganda and blackmail. In spite of those things, be focused and you will achieve your results.
“They said I did not attend because I was not happy that my own nominee was not there. I work for Mr. President. Mr. President’s judgment as far as I’m concerned in this country has always been how to put this country in the right perspective,” he said.
He slammed naysayers of making up tales about him and for usually slaying him of only focusing on road construction, saying they had nothing to say again.
“Today, they have nothing again to say. They say we are concentrating on roads. Very soon, they will see we will be focusing on the schools. So critics have nothing again to say. They wake up in the morning, they turn on their national television, they see FCT.
“So, we have kept them busy, and we will do it for the next another 10 days of flagging off and commissioning of projects,” Wike stated, promising his achievements would silence all critics.
He credited the achievements of the FCT Administration to the right leadership provided by the president, assuring that in the President’s third year anniversary next year, Nigerians will see projects and other dividends of democracy they have never seen before.
Olawale Ajimotokan
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