The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Thursday declared that there is no cabal within President Bola Tinubu’s administration. Wike made the statement while delivering the keynote lecture at the 2025 OAU Distinguished Personality Lecture in Ile-Ife, the Osun State capital.
The former Rivers State Governor commended Tinubu’s boldness in removing the petrol subsidy and unifying the foreign exchange rates—decisions he claimed previous Nigerian leaders, including Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, were not courageous enough to make.
He argued that, had Tinubu not removed the subsidy, many individuals would still be benefiting from it at the expense of national progress. According to him, Nigeria has failed to move forward over the past six decades, underperforming across various sectors, while the country’s fault lines continue to deepen.
Also Read: Wike Unveils Abuja Projects as Tinubu Marks Two Years in Office
Despite this, Wike expressed optimism that the nation could still rise and thrive—provided that the appropriate governance frameworks are established. He emphasised the importance of rebuilding trust and strengthening the bonds of unity in diversity for the country to make meaningful progress.
Wike stated that the Nigeria of citizens’ dreams will not descend from the sky, but must be built through vision, sacrifice, hard work, and collective purpose. “He has shown that he has the courage. Under Tinubu, there is nothing like cabal. This is a president that is in charge. Let us leave for the next generation to resolve and not regrets,” he said, urging all Nigerians to be committed to the nation’s building.
However, the minister dismissed critics calling for his removal from office, describing their claims as baseless and questioning their sense of judgement. He argued that those doubting his competence clearly misunderstood his capacity to deliver results. Reiterating his position on public accountability, he maintained that individuals and organisations owing ground rent in the FCT must settle their debts.
He added that doing so would not cause any catastrophe, stating plainly, ‘heaven will not fall.’
