Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed allegations of vote-buying over his promise to give N10m to each councillor who delivers his ward to President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
Wike said the proposed financial reward was designed to encourage political mobilisation and commitment, arguing that it should not be interpreted as an attempt to induce voters.
The minister stated this on Tuesday while inspecting ongoing infrastructure projects in Abuja, according to a statement by his media aide, Lere Olayinka.
He explained that his directive to the councillors was to work towards securing electoral victory for Tinubu and other All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates, rather than distribute money to voters.
“I didn’t tell them, ‘Take this money and go and buy votes.’ I said, ‘Go and work. Show commitment. Demonstrate that you really mean what you are talking about. When you win, come and we are going to reward you,’” he said.
Defending the offer, Wike maintained that there was a clear distinction between rewarding political organisers for achieving targets and offering money to voters in exchange for their support.
He likened the proposed incentive to rewards given to athletes who win international competitions, noting that promises of houses and other benefits were often used to motivate outstanding performance.
The minister questioned why similar incentives in politics should be considered bribery, while criticising sections of the media for allegedly failing to make the distinction.
He also argued that political parties routinely commit substantial resources to campaign advertisements without attracting comparable scrutiny.
The controversy erupted after Wike announced the N10m reward at a Rainbow Coalition stakeholders' meeting in Kwali Area Council on Monday.
Addressing the councillors, the minister had declared that those who successfully delivered their wards to Tinubu and other APC candidates would receive the money.
“Any councillor that delivers his ward will get N10 million reward. Therefore, go and meet your leaders, go and meet your youth groups, go and consult with associations. Let’s deliver our ward to Mr President,” he said.
He subsequently charged them to engage community leaders, youth organisations and other associations to mobilise support for the President ahead of the 2027 elections.
On the infrastructure inspection tour, Wike expressed satisfaction with the progress of work on key projects, including Interchange Section 2 (ISEX 2), the Southern Parkway and S1 Road, which features a fire station.
He said the projects were expected to be completed by December 15, expressing confidence that the infrastructure development recorded under Tinubu would strengthen the administration's re-election campaign.
Wike further insisted that his backing for the President was based on the administration's development record rather than party loyalty.
He urged Nigerians who wanted the country to make progress to support policies and programmes that promote national development.
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