By Ekuson Nw’Ogbunka in Abuja
With less than three weeks to the official kickoff of campaigns for the 2027 general elections, politics is already in the air. But in Abuja, FCT Minister Barrister Ezenwo Nyesom Wike says the work will not stop. On a project inspection tour on Wednesday, July 29, he made it clear: the administration’s best campaign material is not rallies or slogans, but completed roads, bridges, and infrastructure delivered to residents across the capital and satellite towns.
The Minister stated that the August 19 onset of campaigns towards the 2027 general elections will not affect development activities in the nation’s capital, according to a press release by Rabi Musa Umar, Deputy Director, Press, Office of the Minister, FCTA.
Speaking to newsmen during the inspection, Barr. Wike said development efforts in the FCT will, in fact, boost campaign activities. “They cannot be halted by politics,” he asserted.
He explained that the FCT Administration will leverage its track record of infrastructural delivery as its primary campaign platform. For him, performance, not promises, will speak to voters.
“Campaigning is about showing what you have done. What are you going to tell the people when you have nothing to show?” the Minister asked. “For me, campaign means presenting your report card.”
“All we have to do is return to the people and say: ‘We made these promises to you, and we have kept them.’ This administration, as far as the FCT is concerned, has shown its report card and will have no problem winning elections,” he added
During the tour, the Minister assessed the Full Scope Development of Arterial Road N16 at Gwarimpa, linking Ring Road II to Ring Road III. He also inspected the Tungan Madaki–Zuba Road connecting to the Abuja–Kaduna Highway.
Barr. Wike commended key contractors for maintaining momentum and executing quality work even ahead of funding disbursements. He said their commitment has kept projects moving despite fiscal pressures.
On the N16 interchange bridge and its connecting corridors, the Minister noted its importance in opening up the axis and relieving traffic gridlocks. He pledged prompt release of the necessary funds to keep completion on schedule.
At the Tungan-Madaki corridor, he lauded the contractor for maintaining high standards, particularly on drainage and earthworks during the rainy season. The target completion for the road remains December 2026.
The Minister expressed particular satisfaction with contractors who commence work without waiting for initial mobilization funds. “What gives us satisfaction is that these companies never wait for mobilization before starting work. They know the government will pay, and we do not take that trust for granted,” he said.
“I am going back to ensure funds are made available so that momentum is sustained,” Barr. Wike stated, reiterating the administration’s commitment to honoring its financial obligation.
He reassured residents that the FCTA remained fully focused on fulfilling all commitments made under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. The goal, he said, is to ensure infrastructure delivery across both urban hubs and satellite towns remains uninterrupted, regardless of the political season.
