Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is firmly in control of governance and is not beholden to any cabal within his administration.
Speaking on Thursday while delivering the keynote address at the 2025 OAU Distinguished Personality Lecture in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Wike praised Tinubu’s bold leadership, particularly his decisions on fuel subsidy removal and the unification of the foreign exchange rate—moves he said previous administrations lacked the courage to implement.
“Under Tinubu, there is nothing like a cabal. This is a president that is in charge,” Wike stated. “He has shown he has the courage.”
He noted that Nigeria would still be losing billions to corrupt fuel subsidy beneficiaries had Tinubu not taken decisive action early in his presidency.
Wike also reflected on Nigeria’s historical struggles since independence, highlighting the country’s deep-rooted divisions and systemic challenges. However, he expressed optimism about the nation’s future if leaders and citizens work together with vision and determination.
“The Nigeria we desire won’t fall from heaven. It will require our collective effort. Let us leave for the next generation resolve, not regrets,” he urged.
Responding to growing calls for his removal as FCT Minister, Wike dismissed his critics as “misguided,” reaffirming his commitment to ensuring transparency and enforcing the payment of outstanding ground rent debts in Abuja.
” if they pay what they owe,” he said pointedly.
The lecture was attended by prominent figures including the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi; Minister of Finance Wale Edun; and former governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Samuel Ortom, among others.
