The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday said political campaigns ahead of the 2027 general elections would not affect the execution of ongoing infrastructure projects in Abuja.
Wike said his administration had already begun campaigning through the delivery of roads and other projects, adding that performance remained the strongest message any government could take to the electorate.
The minister spoke after inspecting the Arterial Road N16 linking Ring Road III and the 7.3-kilometre Tunga Madaki-Zuba road, where he expressed satisfaction with the pace of work.
He said the N16 project is expected to be completed by January, while the Tunga Madaki-Zuba road is on course for delivery in December.
Asked whether politics in the FCT and Rivers State would reduce the time he spends supervising projects, Wike dismissed the suggestion.
“How is this campaign? This is a campaign. In fact, the major campaign is to provide the dividend of democracy. What are you going to talk to the people when you have nothing to show? So, for me, the campaign is showing what you have done.
“All we have to do is to go back to tell them, ‘We have made this promise to you. We have kept to the promise.’ And you can see the happiness in people. It is not going to affect us at all, whether Rivers or in FCT.
“The Tinubu administration have made promise, and they have kept to those words. So, for me, that is a campaign. I don’t believe in coming to talk rhetoric. People say, ‘Show your report card,’ and I think this administration, as far as FCT is concerned, have been able to show their report card, and they have no problem winning the election any day INEC sets it.”
On the Arterial Road N16 project, Wike said the contractor, CBC Global, had assured the FCT Administration that the road would be completed by January.
“The CBC has said that they can complete that job by January, and I will be so impressed if that is done. And on our own part, we’re going to make sure that funding is made. That road is very critical. If that road is done, of course, the entire Gwako part will be open.”
He also expressed confidence that the Tunga Madaki-Zuba road being handled by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, CCECC, would be ready by December despite the rainy season slowing earthworks.
“You can see what the management has said that by December, they will hand over this project, which is about 7.3 kilometre.
“I’m very impressed with what they are doing. They are concentrating on the drainage, and I’ve approved the relocation of the poles.”
Wike commended Chinese construction firms handling FCT projects, saying they often begin work before receiving mobilisation because they trust the government to honour its obligations.
“They know that the government will pay, and we don’t want to take it for granted. As I go back now, I’ll make sure that funds are made available to them so that we’ll be able to achieve what we have said we will achieve.”
