Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared President Bola Tinubu the only credible leadership option for Nigeria, saying no other potential presidential contender has shown the courage to tackle the country’s long-standing economic challenges.
Speaking during his monthly media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, Wike defended the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms, particularly the removal of the petrol subsidy, describing the move as one of the boldest policy decisions taken by any Nigerian president in decades.
He acknowledged that the reforms have brought temporary hardship for many Nigerians but argued that they have significantly improved the financial standing of state governments by increasing allocations, boosting infrastructure funding and reducing dependence on bank loans to pay workers’ salaries.
“Asiwaju is the only person we have now. He has not done everything, and nobody says he has, but he has shown the courage to take decisions others refused to take. Give him credit for that,” Wike said.
The FCT minister urged Nigerians to be patient, stressing that an economy weakened over many years could not be transformed overnight.
“When problems have accumulated for over 15 years, people expect them to be solved in one year. It doesn’t work that way. Healing takes time, but it will happen,” he said.
Describing the former fuel subsidy regime as “a cancer,” Wike recalled that while serving as governor, dwindling federal allocations forced his administration to rely on bank loans to meet salary obligations.
“The fuel subsidy consumed over ₦3 trillion at a time. Today, states receive more money. Pensioners are being paid, governors no longer queue before bank managers to borrow money just to pay salaries, and there are more resources for infrastructure,” he said.
Wike maintained that effective leadership is measured by the willingness to make difficult decisions rather than pursuing popular opinion.
“Everybody agreed that subsidy was a scam, but no president had the political will to remove it. President Tinubu took that decision. No decision is 100 per cent perfect, but leadership is about taking responsibility,” he added.
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