Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared his unwavering support for President Bola Tinubu’s potential second-term bid, asserting that he remains an asset and not a liability to the administration.

Speaking during a media chat in Abuja, Wike said he would lead the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign for Tinubu in Rivers State during the 2027 presidential election. He dismissed opposition from within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), stating that no member had the courage to question his loyalty or membership.

“You’ve seen me say I will support Asiwaju. The way we won previous elections is how we’ll win again. I am not a liability. I am an asset—whether you like it or not,” Wike said.

He reiterated that despite Tinubu receiving less than 10 per cent of the votes in Rivers State in 2023, his involvement would change that outcome in the next election. “It’s not hidden. I’ve said the South must produce the president, and I stand by that.”

Wike also criticised the PDP’s internal disarray, warning that the party may not survive without serious reform. He attributed recent defections in Delta and Akwa Ibom to leadership failures and poor intelligence gathering.

“You can’t tell me they didn’t see it coming. What did the leadership do? Nothing. Instead, they say ‘let them go’. That’s not how opposition works,” he stated.

Taking aim at his predecessor, Rotimi Amaechi, Wike condemned the former Minister of Transportation for using his 60th birthday celebration to criticise the government, accusing him of hypocrisy regarding hunger in the country.

“He was Speaker for eight years, Governor for another eight, and Minister for eight – 24 years in power. Never once did he talk about hunger. Now, out of power for two years, he suddenly cares?” Wike queried.

He accused Amaechi of trivialising poverty, saying his alliance with Atiku Abubakar and Nasir El-Rufai was motivated by a hunger for power, not public interest.

On allegations of non-payment of ground rent, Wike accused PDP chieftain Chief Olabode George of owing the FCT significant arrears, naming him on a publicly released list of defaulters.

“His name is number 3,092 on the list. You collect Certificates of Occupancy and use them to secure loans, but refuse to pay your dues. What kind of citizen is that?” Wike asked.

He criticised the entitlement mentality among elite property owners in Nigeria, contrasting it with the compliance seen abroad where tax default leads to government repossession.

“Our problem is that religion and ethnicity have held this country hostage. Until we address that, we won’t move forward,” he said.