The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has denied involvement in the judicial decision affecting Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma’s senatorial ambitions, calling attempts to link him to the development mischievous.

Wike said he had no role in the matter, insisting that his immediate political priority was to ensure President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.

Speaking during his monthly media parley on Thursday in Port Harcourt, the minister said he was neither a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) nor a party to the legal proceedings involving the Imo governor.

“Ordinarily, I wouldn’t want to go into this, but anybody calling my name is being mischievous. I didn’t go to court, and I’m not in the APC. As it is today, my priority is to ensure that Mr President emerges victorious in the 2027 presidential elections,” he said.

Wike, however, indicated that he would speak more openly about political developments and those opposing his political alignments after the presidential election.

“Today, I’m not talking because we want the presidential election to be over. By the time the presidential election is over, I will speak out. Everything has its own time,” he said.

The minister also warned politicians against exploiting President Tinubu’s popularity to advance their personal political interests, insisting that support for the President should not be taken for granted.

“Do I look like somebody you can threaten? You cannot ride on the back of the President simply because everybody is supporting the President. Even you who cannot write your name, for example, should we support you?” he queried.

Wike reaffirmed his commitment to the President’s re-election, despite his continued political activities in Rivers State and the FCT.

He also assured residents that his political engagements would not affect the pace of infrastructure development in the nation’s capital.

The minister listed several ongoing road projects nearing completion, including the Inner Southern Expressway, Southern Parkway, Tungan Madaki-Zuba Road, the road around Nile University, and the Kubwa-Bwari road.

He said he was closely monitoring the projects despite his political engagements.

“So, while I’m doing my politics, my eyes are also on the projects. I don’t need to carry a camera, because I’m not the Minister of Works or the Governor of television to see. I’m doing the work, and the work is almost complete,” he said.

On the controversy surrounding the revocation of portions of the University of Abuja’s land and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU)’s threat to embark on a strike, Wike challenged the union’s involvement in land administration matters.

He maintained that the FCT Administration was exercising its statutory responsibility and that the dispute was already before the courts.

The minister also dismissed allegations that increased billboard advertising rates in the FCT were politically motivated, saying the revised charges were intended to generate revenue for infrastructure and education.

On the crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Wike said recent Court of Appeal decisions affirmed the party’s legally recognised leadership and dismissed parallel structures.

He said the crisis had weakened the party’s electoral prospects, adding that its members needed to regroup and develop a fresh strategy.

“The PDP crisis affected us. The damage has been done. We need to go back and strategise and plan again for the future,” he said.

Wike also dismissed claims that Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara had been sidelined in the Rainbow Coalition, insisting that the governor was involved in key political decisions and had publicly unveiled the coalition’s governorship candidate.

He said Fubara’s political future remained open, stressing that public service was not necessarily dependent on holding political office continuously. (The Nation)