…Says Critics Ill-Prepared for Elections, Can’t Win in 2027
By Abu Adamu
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has launched a scathing attack on opposition leaders over their rejection of key provisions in the newly signed 2026 Electoral Act, accusing them of double standards, political opportunism, and lack of preparation for future elections.
Speaking during a media chat in Abuja, Wike took direct aim at former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, over criticisms of the Electoral Act amendment that permits manual transmission of results where electronic transmission fails due to poor network coverage.
Opposition parties have faulted the amended law signed by President Bola Tinubu, arguing that the provision could undermine electoral transparency. But Wike insisted that the clause merely safeguards against voter disenfranchisement in areas with weak connectivity and does not abolish electronic transmission.
He accused Amaechi and other opposition figures of hypocrisy, recalling that during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, some of the same voices resisted electronic transmission out of fear it could cost them elections.
“Under Buhari, when electronic transmission came up, people like Amaechi said, ‘Don’t sign it; you’ll lose the election.’ Now the same people are demanding electronic transmission. That is double standards,” Wike said.
According to him, the law simply provides a fallback option to ensure that votes are not discarded where technology fails, stressing that no democratic system should invalidate ballots because of network glitches.
He also defended the provision mandating direct primaries for political parties, arguing that indirect primaries had allowed powerful governors, ministers, and wealthy politicians to hijack party structures. The direct primary system, he said, would return power to party members and curb the influence of so-called moneybags.
Opposition parties, including the African Democratic Congress and the New Nigeria Peoples Party, have called on the National Assembly to reopen amendments to expunge what they described as “anti-democratic” provisions in the 2026 Electoral Act. But Wike dismissed the agitation as political grandstanding by parties he claimed are not ready for electoral contests.
The FCT minister also renewed his political feud with Senator Ireti Kingibe, predicting she would fail in her 2027 re-election bid. Kingibe, elected in 2023 and now aligned with the African Democratic Congress, has accused Wike of being uncooperative in advancing development projects in the territory.
Wike, however, challenged the senator to point to any tangible project executed under her watch, insisting her record does not justify another term. “I said it over a year ago—Senator Ireti will not come back. Let her show one project,” he declared, adding that her limited engagement with satellite communities could weaken her grassroots appeal.
Responding to criticism over his visits to polling units during the February 21 FCT area council elections, Wike maintained that as Chief Security Officer of the territory, he was within his rights to monitor security situations at voting centres. He noted that the FCT has over 3,000 polling units and argued that visiting a handful could not have influenced the overall outcome.
He attributed the opposition’s performance in the elections to poor preparation rather than interference, asserting that the results reflected effective governance under President Tinubu and the ruling party.
In a parting shot, Wike insisted that the opposition’s continued complaints about the Electoral Act and the FCT polls betray deeper political weakness. According to him, elections are won through organisation and readiness, not rhetoric.