Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed claims of a powerful cabal influencing President Bola Tinubu’s administration, insisting the president is fully in control of his government.
Speaking during the 2025 OAU Distinguished Personality Lecture in Ile-Ife, Osun State, on Thursday, Wike declared, “Under Tinubu, there is nothing like cabal. This is a president that is in charge.”
Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, praised Tinubu’s political courage, especially in scrapping fuel subsidies and unifying Nigeria’s foreign exchange rates—moves previous leaders, he said, were unwilling to make. “So many people would still be benefiting from fuel subsidy fraud if Tinubu had not removed it,” he added.
Acknowledging Nigeria’s past underperformance since independence, Wike said the country could still achieve greatness if guided by the right governance framework. He urged citizens to focus on building a legacy of “resolves and not regrets” for future generations.
The FCT minister also defended his performance and lashed out at critics calling for his removal. “Something is wrong with anyone who says I don’t have the capacity to deliver,” he said.
On the issue of ground rent collection in Abuja, Wike reiterated his stance that defaulters must pay. “Heaven will not fall,” he stated firmly.
The event was attended by several dignitaries, including the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi; Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; former governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and Samuel Ortom of Benue State.
