The Nigeria Democratic Congress(NDC) has challenged the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to honour his pledge to resign if President Bola Tinubu fails to win the FCT and Rivers State in the 2027 presidential election.
The party said Wike had effectively put his ministerial position on the ballot after publicly declaring that he would quit office if Tinubu lost the two territories.
Wike had on September 30, while addressing members of the Apo Mechanics and Traders Association in Abuja, vowed to resign as FCT minister on January 17, 2027, if Tinubu failed to win both the FCT and Rivers State.
But the NDC said the declaration could turn into a political embarrassment for the minister, arguing that occupying the FCT ministerial office does not give him control over how residents vote.
The NDC FCT Publicity Secretary, Prince Samuel Iloh, said Wike was being overly confident about his ability to influence the electorate in Abuja.
Iloh said, “If not that he is taking Nigeria as a banana republic, how could a politician be making such a claim when he has only one vote to cast for the President in Rivers and not even in the FCT?”
The party also alleged that Wike’s confidence was based on an “election rigging mechanism”, while assuring that FCT voters would remain vigilant and protect their votes.
Iloh cited the 2023 presidential election as evidence that Abuja voters could make an independent choice despite the political influence of those controlling the territory.
The Independent National Electoral Commission recorded 281,717 votes for Peter Obi in the FCT in 2023, while Tinubu polled 90,902 votes.
The NDC spokesman argued that Wike’s presence in the Federal Executive Council could not automatically translate into electoral control of the capital.
With the 2027 presidential election scheduled for January 16, the party urged FCT residents to turn out massively and vote for Obi and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
The NDC also appealed to voters to support its legislative candidates in the territory, including Barrister Amanda Pam for the Senate and Hassan Grema and Adamu Kamal for the House of Representatives.
The party said having publicly tied his political future to Tinubu’s performance, Wike should now be prepared to keep his word when the ballots are counted.