President Bola Tinubu has revealed that he jokingly threatened to sack the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, if his policies did not align with the political interests of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Tinubu made this remark while receiving a delegation of prominent FCT residents led by Wike during a Sallah homage to mark the conclusion of Ramadan fasting and the Eid-el-Fitr celebrations.
Reflecting on a past discussion, Tinubu recounted how Wike had approached him with a request to exempt the FCT from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) to facilitate financial flexibility and enhance infrastructure development.
“I remember the day Nyesom Wike came to me and said, ‘Please, take us out of this problem of Treasury Single Account (TSA) so that I can do more work and achieve more,’” Tinubu recalled.
The President further narrated how he responded to Wike’s proposal with a political perspective, questioning its potential impact on APC’s electoral chances in the FCT.
“And he presented it, and I threw in my own political guide: ‘Would that give me any opportunity for my party (APC) to win the election in FCT?’”
“I said, ‘I know where you are coming from, your own party (PDP) or my party. If this thing goes too much in your own favour, you will lose your job.’ Then he said, ‘Okay, we settle that, Oga.’”
Tinubu praised Wike for spearheading policies that have significantly improved the FCT, particularly in infrastructure, healthcare, and education.
“He came up with a lot of good ideas to liberate the bureaucracy, bring forward-looking, progressive thinking to the administration, and provide opportunities for many who would have been hindered by property rights,” Tinubu stated.
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