Chief Ezenwo Nyesom Wike who is the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, has debunked widely held speculations that he could revive his presidential ambition in 2027, stressing that as a man who abhors disloyalty, he cannot contest against his boss, President Bola Tinubu.
Noting that he remained committed to the successes of the Tinubu administration, Wike recalled how his eternal quest for justice led him and five other Governors of the People’s Democratic Party PDP to form the G5 to canvass for power shift and support the presidential ambition of Tinubu.
Speaking in an interview on Friday which was monitored by Africa Today News, New York, the minister pointed out that good character should never be sacrificed on the altar of politics.
He said; ‘Tinubu made me the FCT minister and I won’t allow anybody to crumble our political structure. No!
‘Tinubu made me minister, people don’t understand, I have character. What will happen in 2027? I stood and I said I am not going to support injustice. I was threatened that they would do me this and that. They tried many options including using Major Generals.’
On the reported face-off with Governor Siminalayi Fubara of his home state, Rivers, Wike said he did not want to dwell on the matter but later declared that the best test of a person’s character is to give him power and money.
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He said; ‘Give a man power and money, and that is when you will know the person. If you have not given manpower and money don’t say you know the person.
‘He may be your friend, he may be your son, sister mother or father. I don’t want to go into that.
‘In three months, it is sad for someone to scatter a political structure that supported and brought you up. You know what is painful? All these allegations, I smile. Who and who sat with him? In all your doings be grateful in your life no matter the circumstance. Nobody who is a gentleman and a politician will support this kind of thing.’
On his achievements as governor of Rivers State, wike said: “I was paying pensioner’s gratuity every month which were not paid by my predecessor. I took Rivers State to the level where you cannot discuss politics in Nigeria without Rivers State.
I was an ordinary minister when I became a governor. I challenged the sitting governor and I defeated his candidate. I worked hard.”
Speaking on the new requirements for acquisition of land in the Territory especially the introduction of National Identity Number NIN and Biometric Verification Number BVN to get a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), the minister said the new features were for security and revenue generation.