The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has addressed his ₦10 million offer to councillors who deliver their political ward to for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election.
NEWSNGR reports that the Minister had come under criticism following his financial incentive promise, with some individuals claiming that it should be regarded as vote buying.
However, speaking on Tuesday during an inspection of ongoing infrastructure projects in Abuja, Wike clarified that he never asked the councillors to buy votes.
“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 drew a line between rewarding political commitment and offering money to voters in exchange for their support. He said the councillors were challenged to prove their commitment through effective mobilisation.
To make his case, he pointed to athletes who are promised houses or other benefits if they return from international competitions with trophies. He asked why a similar reward in politics should automatically be read as bribery.
He also faulted sections of the media for failing to tell legitimate rewards apart from vote-buying. Political parties and candidates, he argued, routinely spend money on campaign advertisements without facing the same scrutiny.
Wike urged journalists to pay closer attention to the difference between financial inducements meant to sway voters and rewards promised to political mobilisers for hitting set targets.
