ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has debunked claims that a cabal or shadowy power brokers are steering the affairs of the Bola Tinubu-led administration.
The former Rivers State Governor insisted that the President is firmly in control of his government.
“He has shown that he has the courage. Under Tinubu, there is nothing like cabal. This is a president that is in charge,” Wike stated on Thursday during the 2025 OAU Distinguished Personality Lecture held in Ile-Ife, Osun State.
Wike, a lawyer, was the keynote speaker at the event, which attracted high-profile dignitaries from across the country.
He lauded President Tinubu for making bold economic decisions that previous leaders, including former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, could not muster the political will to implement.
Among these, he cited the removal of the petrol subsidy and the unification of foreign exchange rates.
Wike argued that many Nigerians would still be benefiting from the fraud associated with the fuel subsidy regime had the President not acted decisively.
Speaking more broadly on the state of the nation, the minister acknowledged that Nigeria has underperformed in the six decades since independence, and that the country is grappling with numerous fault lines.
However, he expressed optimism that Nigeria can still rise to greatness if the right systems of governance are put in place.
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He emphasized the importance of national unity and trust-building, adding that progress would only be achieved through a collective commitment to vision, sacrifice, and purpose.
“The desired Nigeria won’t fall from heaven but will require the vision, sacrifice, hard work and purpose of all citizens,” he said.
“Let us leave for the next generation resolves and not regrets.”
Taking a swipe at his critics, Wike dismissed calls for his removal as FCT minister, describing those behind such demands as misguided.
“Something is wrong with those who claimed he lacked the capacity to deliver,” he said.
Reaffirming his position on revenue collection in the capital, Wike maintained that ground rent debtors in Abuja must pay what they owe.
“Heaven would not fall if they did so,” he added.
The lecture was also graced by notable figures including the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi; the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; former governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and Samuel Ortom of Benue State, among others.