Wike defends N10m promise to councillors, dismisses vote-buying claims

File Photo: FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has defended his promise to reward councillors with N10m each for delivering their wards to President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections, insisting that the offer is an incentive for hard work and not vote-buying.

Wike said he did not ask the councillors to give money to voters to influence their choices but urged them to demonstrate commitment through effective political mobilisation.

The minister’s position was contained in a statement posted on Tuesday by his media aide, Lere Olayinka, following an inspection tour of ongoing infrastructure projects in Abuja.

“I didn’t tell them, ‘Take this money and go and buy votes.’ I said, ‘Go and work. Show commitment. Demonstrate that you really mean what you are talking about. When you win, come and we are going to reward you,’” he said.

Wike argued that rewarding political mobilisers for achieving set targets was different from giving money to voters in exchange for their support.

To support his position, the minister compared the proposed reward to incentives offered to athletes who win international competitions, saying promises of houses and other benefits were intended to encourage hard work and commitment.

He questioned why similar incentives in politics should automatically be interpreted as bribery.

The minister also criticised sections of the media for what he described as a failure to distinguish between legitimate rewards and vote-buying.

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He argued that political parties and candidates routinely spend money on campaign advertisements without attracting similar scrutiny, urging journalists to distinguish between financial inducements aimed at influencing voters and rewards for political mobilisation.

Wike’s defence followed criticism of his announcement at a Rainbow Coalition stakeholders’ meeting in Kwali Area Council on Monday, where he promised N10m to every councillor who successfully delivered their ward to Tinubu and other APC candidates in the 2027 elections.

“Any councillor that delivers his ward will get N10 million reward. Therefore, go and meet your leaders, go and meet your youth groups, go and consult with associations. Let’s deliver our ward to Mr President,” he had said.

The minister had also urged councillors to mobilise residents and community groups to secure victory for the APC in their respective wards.

During Tuesday’s inspection tour, Wike expressed satisfaction with the progress of ongoing infrastructure projects, including Interchange Section 2 (ISEX 2), the Southern Parkway and S1 Road, which incorporates a fire station.

He said the projects were on course for completion by December 15, adding that the infrastructure achievements of Tinubu’s administration would provide a strong basis for its re-election campaign.

Wike further maintained that his support for Tinubu’s administration was driven by development rather than party affiliation, saying Nigerians who desired progress should support policies and programmes aimed at national development.