Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has stated that his promise of a N10 million reward to councillors in FCT is a legitimate incentive for hard work, dismissing allegations that the gesture amounts to vote-buying.
Wike, who spoke on Tuesday after inspecting some ongoing road projects across the territory, argued that the cash pledge was strictly intended to motivate grassroots politicians to mobilize voters and deliver electoral results in favour of President Tinubu
Recall that Wike had at a stakeholders meeting in Kwali Area Council on Monday, promised to reward any councillor of the 62 wards in the FCT who successfully mobilize their constituents for President Bola Tinubu’s victory in the forthcoming presidential election.
The announcement quickly drew criticism from political opponents who interpreted the cash incentive as voter inducement.
Reacting to this, the minister said critics tracking his campaign strategies have fail to see the difference between providing a transparent reward for performance and offering an illegal inducement.
“Only trained journalists or reasonable persons will understand the difference between a reward and a bribe. For instance, when your son is preparing for an examination, you can tell him: ‘Listen, I want you to make a first-class result. Work hard and get a first class. If you achieve that, I will buy you a house in New York.’ Does that mean you are bribing him? No. You are simply encouraging him to work hard.
“That is what should be rewarded. I did not tell anyone to collect money and use it to buy votes. I told them to go and work hard and demonstrate their commitment to what they are promising. When they win, they should come forward, and we will reward them. That is the point.”
To justify the arrangement, the minister compared the political reward to sponsorships given by the government to national sports teams to inspire victory on the global stage.
He said; “Look at Nigeria’s Under-17 team. When they went for a tournament, they were told to return with the trophy and that, if they did, they would receive substantial rewards, including land. What does that mean? It is an incentive to encourage them to commit themselves and work hard. That all.
Wike also expressed disappointment with the media, accusing television platforms of focusing on the bribery narrative while ignoring the high costs political actors pay to media houses for airtime.
He noted that media organizations routinely accept millions of naira for political advertisements during election seasons without questioning the source of the wealth.
“When we bring money for campaign advertisements, media organisations collect it without asking where the money is coming from. But when you tell your constituents that you will reward them for their efforts, suddenly it becomes bribery. What about the money collected for political advertisements?
“We pay almost N5 million per hour, and during prime time, the cost can reach N2.7 million per second. That is what some people are interested in,” the minister added.
“It is unfortunate, and I have always said that the media is part of the problem. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to watch a political programme where the issue of buying votes was discussed. People were talking about giving voters money to influence their choices. But again, the media has never asked certain questions.”
Wike maintained that even in advanced democracies like the United States, political actors regularly use incentives to rally support without being accused of bribery.
“Even in America, political candidates make promises and offer incentives to encourage support. That does not automatically amount to bribery. It is unfortunate that these issues are being misrepresented,” he said.
The minister added that his focus remains on delivering visible results, noting that the administration’s scorecard will guide its mobilization efforts across the FCT ahead of the January 16, 2027 general elections.
He stated that the rapid delivery of key road infrastructure, such as the Central Parkway which sat abandoned for 30 years before its recent revival, remains the ultimate campaign tool that cannot be unseated by criticism.
“As I told you during our last meeting, this is our campaign. When people ask what we intend to campaign with, we tell them that we have numerous achievements on the ground to showcase.
“There is no way residents of Abuja would see the kind of infrastructure being provided and fail to appreciate the achievements of Mr President. If you recall, the Central Parkway had been abandoned for about 30 years. Within six months, you can see what has been achieved. It is unimaginable,” Wike stated.
