Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has rejected attempts to link him to the recent controversies surrounding the screening of Rivers State governorship aspirants under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, insisting that he has no involvement in the party’s internal affairs.
Wike said he could not be drawn into matters concerning a political party he does not belong to, stressing that his attention remained on governance in the Federal Capital Territory.
The minister who spoke with journalists shortly after inspecting some ongoing projects in Abuja stated that, “I’m not a member of the APC, so I don’t know what is happening in their screening. Even if they publish the results, why would I comment? I don’t know the reasons they have,” he said.
He maintained that it would be inappropriate for him to speculate on issues outside his political jurisdiction.
“What pertains to me is what I will talk about, not what does not concern me. I’m not a native doctor, neither am I a prophet,” Wike added.
The remarks come amid issues surrounding Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s screening at the Plateau State Governors’ Lodge on Sunday, when he left just few minutes after he got to the venue and declined speaking to journalists.
Governor Fubara, was reportedly seen at the screening venue visibly displeased, but told journalists “no comments ” when they attempted interviewing him after the screening exercise.
However, Wike maintained that he had no knowledge of the internal workings of the APC screening process, and had also not been informed of any issue by the Rivers State governor.
The minister therefore urged that attention be focused on party affairs within their respective political platforms, adding that political parties are responsible for their own affairs.
Beyond the political debate, the minister inspected ongoing infrastructure projects across the Federal Capital Territory ahead of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s third anniversary in office.
At Karsana, Wike expressed satisfaction with progress on the Renewed Hope Estate project, noting that only a small portion of asphalt work remained for completion.
He said contractors had assured that streetlights in the area would be completed before the end of the month.
The minister also visited the Body of Benchers corridor, where he said the road project had been completed, with final streetlight installation expected within days.
In Tungan Madaki, Wike said the bridge project had reached advanced stages, while connecting roads toward Zuba were already underway.
“The job is almost completed. The bridge has been launched and they have started the connection that will direct traffic from here to Kubwa,” he said.
He described the projects as part of the administration’s infrastructure renewal drive in the capital city, adding that several of them would be commissioned during the President’s third anniversary celebrations.
On complaints relating to tax enforcement operations by officials of the Abuja Municipal Area Council, the minister said tax compliance remained a persistent challenge among residents.
“There must be a civilised way of collecting taxes, but knowing our taxpayers, people don’t like to pay tax. When tax collectors come, they find one excuse or the other,” he said.
Wike, however, noted that no formal complaint had been received by the FCT Administration over the enforcement activities.
