By Our Reporter

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has described the strike declared by the FCT chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) as politically motivated, insisting that the grievances raised by the workers were already being addressed by the administration.

Wike also announced that the FCT Administration would enforce the no work, no pay policy across the Area Councils in response to the industrial action.

The minister spoke in Abuja on Friday, October 9, 2026, after a closed-door meeting with Area Council chairmen and security operatives.

He maintained that the administration had met its obligations to local government workers and teachers, arguing that there was no justification for the strike.

Wike further faulted the process leading to the declaration of the industrial action, alleging that relevant authorities responsible for overseeing labour matters had not been consulted before the decision was taken.

“We want to state categorically and let it be known to the public that this so-called strike declaration is political, and we will not accept it. We will not accept it because there’s no basis for anybody to call for a strike. We don’t have any issue with anybody, either be it area council local education primary authority, or be it secondary schools, we have no issues,” the minister said.

He also claimed that major education stakeholders, including senior secondary school teachers and the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB), had distanced themselves from the strike, maintaining that existing agreements were already being implemented.

The minister subsequently accused the FCT NLC chairman, Stephen Knabayi, of allowing political interests to influence the union’s activities.

Wike alleged that Knabayi, who contested the last Area Council elections on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), was using the strike to portray the FCT Administration negatively.

The minister suggested that the industrial action could be exploited to create public dissatisfaction with the government ahead of future elections.

“And you can see his interest trying to see that FCT is in crisis, and then wants to use it as a political tool that FCT teachers are at home, and nobody is teaching students; how can you now come and vote for a government when the pupils are at home? We cannot accept that blackmail. We won’t accept it,” he said.

Wike added that labour leaders interested in partisan politics should relinquish their union leadership positions to prevent political considerations from influencing their responsibilities.

“I’ve told everybody, and I’ve told Labour, look, if you want to involve yourself in politics, you are free to, but then excuse yourself from the leadership of the union, so you don’t politicize it,” he said.

The minister also directed security agencies and relevant authorities to dismantle unauthorised commercial establishments, particularly open-air beer parlours operating along the Guzape-Asokoro axis of Abuja.

He said such businesses must be removed before they develop into security threats, although the statement did not provide further details about the enforcement arrangements.

Wike also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to take action against politicians who engage in inflammatory rhetoric and personal attacks rather than issue-based campaigns.

He expressed displeasure over comments attributed to ADC chieftain Rotimi Amaechi concerning President Bola Tinubu and his supporters, questioning why the electoral commission had not publicly addressed the remarks.

The minister argued that political parties and candidates should be held accountable when their statements allegedly promote hostility or depart from the issues affecting Nigerians.

“Many Nigerians have called INEC to sanction political parties, and candidates, or some politicians who, in their campaigns, incite the public or raise matters that are not issue-based. We have been told to go on campaigns based on issues. What are you going to do about the people attacking personality or insulting individuals? Up till now, I have not heard that INEC has been able to call or draw attention of the Vice Presidential candidate of the ADC, Rotimi Amaechi, to this,” Wike said.

He also urged journalists to investigate allegations surrounding projects and expenditures undertaken during Amaechi’s tenure as governor of Rivers State.

Among the issues he raised were a reported $10 million fumigation contract awarded to a Cuban company, the state’s monorail project reportedly valued at ₦68 billion, and the sale of a gas turbine for $308 million.

Wike questioned the outcomes of the projects and called on the media to seek explanations from the former Rivers governor.

“I challenge him, and I challenge the media. Ask him the $10 million USD you paid to a Cuban company to fumigate Rivers State so there will be no mosquito bite. Up till now, mosquito has been biting Rivers people, including myself. Ask him, the ₦68 billion monorail, where is the monorail? Ask him, where is the $308 million USD with which you sold our gas turbine?” he said.

The minister’s remarks were allegations and questions directed at Amaechi; the statement did not include a response from the former governor on the issues raised.

Wike further warned that continued personal attacks against Tinubu and his supporters could provoke a strong political response, particularly in Rivers State.

He urged opposition politicians to concentrate on presenting their programmes and explaining how their proposed policies would differ from those of the current administration.

The minister said political campaigns should focus on governance, development and policy alternatives rather than insults directed at political opponents.

“If he continues along this line, it may be difficult for him to campaign in Rivers. And I want somebody to go and write it down. Because we will not take that. We will not,” he said.

He added that opposition figures should explain to voters what they intended to do differently instead of relying on personal attacks against the president and his supporters.

Nyesom Wike, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, has said he would become the first target if President Bola Tinubu loses the 2027 presidential election to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar or Peter Obi.

Wike, who has been supporting Tinubu despite being a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said he was fully aware of the consequences of the position he had taken.

Speaking during a media chat, Wike said: “I will be the first politician that I think they will come after. I will be the first politician. I know they will come for my head.”

Wike said in spite of the possibility of political consequences, his resolve to campaign for and support Tunubu remains strong.

“Each day I sleep, I am thinking about the president’s reelection. When I am eating, I think about the president’s reelection. Everything I am doing now is about the president’s reelection,” he stated.

The former Rivers State governor said the criticism directed at him over his political position had been unusually intense.
But he maintained that he was not concerned about the names he had been called or the opinions expressed by his critics.

“I don’t see where anybody in this country today has been called names the way my name has been. I am not bothered about people who say their [own] thing. My business is, like I said, I am going to support Mr President,” he said..

By Chidera Orji
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‎PRP FCT senatorial aspirant, Dr Juliet Hasana-Moneme, has promised to make skills acquisition, economic empowerment and access to credit facilities key priorities for women if elected to the Senate.
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‎Speaking during a media engagement organised by the League of Anambra Journalists in Abuja (LAJA), Moneme said women in the Federal Capital Territory should be able to hold her accountable for delivering on the three commitments.
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‎“Every woman in the FCT should hold me accountable for women skills acquisition, for women empowerment, and for women access to credit facilities or grants that are available in the city,” she said.
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‎Moneme said her proposed approach would be based on identifying residents and their needs through a structured database covering the FCT’s six area councils, wards and communities.
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‎She said the database would help government and community stakeholders understand the needs of residents and connect them with available opportunities, including education, credit and other support programmes.
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‎The senatorial aspirant also said she would seek to ensure that constituency empowerment programmes were designed as sustainable interventions rather than one-off handouts.
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‎Drawing from her previous community initiatives, she said her preferred model was a revolving fund in which beneficiaries could repay and allow others to access the same pool of resources.
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‎Moneme said her experience working with women and young people had shown that sustainable empowerment required more than simply giving people money.
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‎She said the goal was to connect people’s potential with the resources and opportunities needed to turn that potential into sustainable livelihoods.