President Bola Tinubu has publicly praised FCT Minister Nyesom Wike with one of his strongest endorsements since appointing him to oversee the transformation of Abuja, declaring that the former Rivers State governor has fully justified the confidence placed in him.

Speaking through Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented him at the commissioning of the Collector Road CN2 (Emmanuel Okanla Boulevard) and other road infrastructure in the Katampe District of Abuja,

Tinubu said Wike’s track record of delivery had been nothing short of impressive.

“When I gave him the assignment to make Abuja a true capital city, I knew his track records. Wike, you have not disappointed Mr. President,” the President’s message read. The commendation came as part of a string of high-profile project commissioning events marking milestones in the ongoing Abuja transformation agenda, which has seen rapid delivery of road networks, judicial infrastructure, housing for judges, and urban renewal projects across the Federal Capital Territory.

Wike, who despite remaining a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party accepted a ministerial appointment under Tinubu’s APC-led administration in August 2023, has become one of the most talked-about figures in Nigerian politics.

His tenure as FCT Minister has been characterised by a flurry of construction activity, though it has also attracted criticism including accusations of demolitions and what detractors have called heavy-handed urban redevelopment. The minister has repeatedly brushed off calls for his removal, famously stating that only President Tinubu has the authority to relieve him of his duties.

At a separate commissioning of Federal High Court judges’ quarters in Katampe, Tinubu also praised Wike for the timely delivery of judicial housing, describing it as a commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s judiciary. Wike, for his part, announced that 20 additional housing units for FCT High Court judges would be commissioned on July 7.

The minister has also publicly pledged to lead Tinubu’s re-election campaign in Rivers State ahead of the 2027 presidential election, further cementing what observers have described as an unusually strong political alliance between the two men across party lines.