Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has defended President Bola Tinubu’s infrastructure drive, arguing that the administration’s achievements in road development within three years surpass the record of former Senate President David Mark during his time in office.
Wike made the remarks on Thursday during the commissioning of the Interchange at the Arterial Road N16–Ring Road II Junction, linking the Jahi and Gwarimpa districts of Abuja. President Tinubu was represented at the event by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The FCT Minister’s comments came amid criticism of the Tinubu administration by the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC). Wike, however, claimed that even the opposition had acknowledged the government’s performance in road infrastructure.
“ADC has conceded that in terms of road infrastructure, Mr. President has done very, very well. Without roads, you cannot go to hospital, you cannot go to school, and you cannot go to farm. Roads are the bedrock of development in any society,” he said.
Wike questioned David Mark’s infrastructure legacy during his eight-year tenure as Senate President, citing the poor condition of the Akwanga–Makurdi Road despite it being awarded under the administration of the then-ruling party.
“The poor people could not afford to travel to Makurdi because there was no road. But David Mark, as Senate President then, was flying helicopters,” Wike said.
“Today, because of the intervention of this administration, people can drive freely to Makurdi and Otukpo. The same David Mark, who once relied on helicopters, can now travel by road too.”
The minister said the Tinubu administration had demonstrated strong political will by completing projects initiated by previous governments rather than abandoning them.
According to Wike, the Jahi–Gwarimpa interchange project was awarded by the immediate past administration but received neither mobilisation nor significant execution until the current administration revived it.
“One of the problems of development in Nigeria is that new administrations often abandon projects initiated by their predecessors,” he said.
“But President Tinubu has shown that government is a continuum. What matters is completing projects for the benefit of the people, regardless of who awarded them.”
Wike noted that many residents had doubted the project would ever be completed, describing its commissioning as another milestone in the ongoing transformation of the Federal Capital Territory.
He also dismissed claims that the administration’s development efforts were focused solely on road construction, pointing to ongoing investments in water infrastructure across satellite towns within the FCT.
The minister challenged critics to identify similar investments made in satellite communities by previous administrations, insisting that the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda was delivering tangible development across the nation’s capital.
