Atiku, a serial loser, will recontest in 2031

…Says nobody tried to sabotage ADC convention.

By Omeiza Ajayi, ABUJA

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, Nyesom Wike, has taken a swipe at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, branding him a habitual election contestant with nothing to show for his repeated bids and predicting the opposition figure will be back on the campaign trail come 2031 despite promises to the contrary.

The minister unleashed the broadside on Thursday while conducting an inspection tour of ongoing road construction projects across Abuja.

Wike used the occasion to fire back at Atiku’s claims that the present administration has delivered no meaningful gains for ordinary Nigerians.

He said, “Atiku is a serial failure. He is a serial contestant and loser, and I am sure that in 2031, he will still contest. Nigerians would be laughing at such a person making that kind of statement that nothing positive has been done.”

Far from backing down, the minister threw down a direct challenge, daring his critic to hold the FCT’s current state up against its condition during the years Atiku served as vice president.

“Let him compare the FCT now and when he was vice president. Can he honestly say what we have now is the same as then?” Wike queried.

The minister also turned his attention to allegations from the African Democratic Congress ADC that FCT officials had attempted to sabotage its convention by targeting the Rainbow Event Centre.

“I don’t even know where that place is. There was no interference from anybody. These people should just stop looking for sympathy,” he said.

He made clear the administration would not be drawn into political distractions, drawing a line between electioneering and governance.

“The election will come, but people must work. Contractors are not part of the election,” he declared.

On infrastructure, Wike offered concrete timelines for projects that residents in satellite communities have long awaited. He disclosed that work on the Airport-Kuje corridor is in its final stretch, with a partial opening of the bridge imminent.

“From Airport Junction to Kuje, one part of the bridge is almost completed. Before the end of May, the entire job will be handed over,” he said.

On the Kuje-Gwagwalada route, the minister confirmed the first phase of the dualisation — covering roughly seven kilometres — is equally on course for completion within the same window.

“I am happy with the progress. We are satisfied with the quality of jobs being delivered,” he added.

Wike painted an optimistic picture of what these road links would mean for Kuje, forecasting its transformation from a peripheral satellite town into a thriving residential and commercial destination capable of relieving strain on central Abuja.

“Very soon, Kuje will no longer be a satellite town. People will move there and build houses, and the pressure on the city will reduce,” he said.

He challenged the party to produce any written correspondence with the office responsible for Eagle Square management, arguing that proper procedure had simply not been followed.

Wike reaffirmed that political activity would not blunt the pace of construction, disclosing that upwards of 80 per cent of planned works are on track for completion before January.

“Our focus is clear — deliver projects, improve lives, and keep Abuja moving,” he said.

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