By Daniel Tyokua
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has taken a swipe at the African Democratic Congress (ADC) over its criticism of a court judgment on the party’s leadership crisis.
He accused the opposition politicians of placing personal ambitions above public interest.
Wike said political parties should be vehicles for development and good governance, rather than platforms for endless leadership battles and personal power struggles.
The minister spoke on Monday during an interactive meeting with political stakeholders, traditional rulers and residents of Kwali Area Council, Abuja.
Wike questioned why opposition politicians were more interested in political conflicts than addressing the needs of Nigerians.
He argued that the essence of joining a political party was to pursue a common vision and ultimately improve the welfare of the people.
Wike urged political leaders to move beyond media criticisms and political grandstanding, insisting that governance should be measured by tangible achievements rather than rhetoric.
He also commended political leaders and council chairmen across party lines in the FCT for choosing cooperation and development over political rivalry.
On the Tinubu administration, the minister said the Federal Government had taken decisive steps to strengthen the FCT’s institutional and administrative capacity.
He cited the establishment of the FCT Civil Service Commission, appointment of an indigenous Head of Service and removal of the territory from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) as major achievements.
According to him, these measures demonstrate the administration’s commitment to addressing longstanding institutional challenges in the FCT.
He said his administration would remain focused on infrastructure development, completion of abandoned road projects and expanding political representation for FCT residents, insisting that difficult decisions would not be avoided where necessary.
The meeting was attended by the Executive Chairman of Kwali Area Council, Nuhu Daniel Kwali; the Etsu of Kwali, HRH Luka Ayedoo Nizassan III; councillors and representatives from the six area councils of the FCT.
“Isn’t it that a party is a vehicle that you enter intentionally to go where you are going? When you get there, you talk about development, you talk about good governance, and how you can bring welfare to your people.
“There is no need to be fighting. For the interest of the people, for the interest of FCT—that is what we are talking about,” Wike said.
