Abuja — Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has declared that securing the constitutionally required 25 per cent of votes for President Bola Tinubu in the FCT during the 2027 presidential election is not his target, insisting that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has already won in the territory.
In remarks captured in a video shared by ARISE News on October 13, 2026, Wike stated: “25% Vote In FCT Is Not My Target, APC Has Already Won In FCT. My fight is against other parties getting up to 25% of the votes in the FCT. APC has already won in the FCT.”
The FCT Minister made the comments during a media parley in Abuja on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, where he linked his confidence to the Tinubu administration’s performance in infrastructure development, security improvements, and engagement with indigenous communities and traditional rulers.
Wike dismissed suggestions that his mobilisation efforts were aimed at meeting only the minimum electoral threshold required under Nigeria’s presidential election rules. “How do you look at me? Coordinator of FCT, and I am looking for 25 per cent? That must be a joke,” he said, according to reports of the briefing.
He argued that support for the President would stem from governance outcomes rather than mere political campaigns. “It’s not about the candidates; it’s about the style of governance and administration as it regards the FCT,” Wike explained.
The minister highlighted consultations with traditional rulers and community leaders that had helped identify urgent needs, including the construction of at least two police stations in each of the FCT’s six area councils. He also pointed to infrastructure projects extending beyond central Abuja to satellite communities, with plans to commission at least 10 projects before the end of December, including roads linking areas such as Karshi, Kubwa, Apo-Karshi, and others.
Wike noted that former senators, ex-members of the National Assembly, and former area council chairmen from different political affiliations had recently rallied behind the administration. He maintained that the government’s approach of listening to communities and delivering tangible projects had shifted public sentiment in favour of Tinubu.
The comments come as Wike, who has positioned himself as the coordinator and “commander of field operations” for Tinubu’s re-election campaign in the FCT and Rivers State, continues to build a cross-party “rainbow coalition” involving stakeholders from the APC and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Under Nigeria’s Constitution, a presidential candidate must win at least 25 per cent of the votes in the FCT (in addition to other requirements) to be declared elected. Wike’s assertion that the APC has already secured victory in the territory and that his focus is preventing other parties from reaching that threshold has drawn sharp reactions online and from opposition voices, who view the remarks as overconfident and potentially undermining democratic competition.
Wike, however, framed the statement as a reflection of the impact of ongoing development work, insisting that residents who have benefited from the administration’s interventions are likely to reciprocate at the polls. The 2027 presidential election is scheduled for January 16, 2027.
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