The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has said he has “no regrets openly supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, since 2022.”
Wike stressed that his position has remained consistent before, during and after the 2023 presidential election.
The minister spoke at a special event organised to mark his 58th birthday anniversary and was contained in a statement by his spokesman, Lere Olayinka, on Saturday.
Wike said his “political decisions are guided by the principles of character and integrity,” adding that he never concealed his “support for Tinubu from the outset.”
He recalled that during the build-up to the 2023 presidential election, he was the only leading figure from the main opposition party, who openly declared support for President Tinubu, a decision he said was based on equity, fairness and justice, as well as his conviction that power should shift to the South.
The minister further argued that his leadership capacity was demonstrated in Rivers State during the elections, where the All Progressives Congress (APC) won the presidential poll while the PDP secured victories in the National Assembly, governorship, State House of Assembly and local government elections under his watch.
At the birthday event held in the wee hours of today, in Wike’s residence in Abuja, leaders from different political divides gathered to celebrate the achievements and political impact of the former Rivers State Governor and current FCT Minister.
In attendance were National Assembly lawmakers from Rivers State, serving and former members, members of the Rivers State House of Assembly led by the Speaker, Martins Amaewhule, chairmen of local government areas, as well as close friends and political associates.
Speakers took turns to extol the virtues of the Minister, describing him as an achiever and astute politician whose impacts are visible across the country, urging him not to relent and assuring him of their continued support.
Rivers State Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors and former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman, Ambassador Desmond Akawor, described the FCT Minister as the “naked wire” of Rivers politics.
Akawor, who is the ex-Director-General of Nyesom Wike’s 2015 governorship campaign, said Wike’s feat had shown that President Bola Tinubu picked the right product from the PDP to work with.