VIDEO: Wike to recommend FCT UBEC chair for PDP candidate who withdrew for APC

File Photo: FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has pledged to recommend a former Peoples Democratic Party chairmanship candidate for Bwari Area Council, Julius Adamu, to President Bola Tinubu as Chairman of the FCT Universal Basic Education Commission.

The minister made the pledge in a video posted on Monday via the X handle of his media aide, Lere Olayinka.

In February 2026, The PUNCH reported that the Independent National Electoral Commission declared Joshua Ishaku of the All Progressives Congress as the winner of the council’s chairmanship election.

Ishaku secured a total of 18,466 votes to emerge victorious in the poll, which was conducted across the 10 wards of the council.

Wike, who is the coordinator for the APC Presidential Campaign Council in the FCT, speaking at the Town Hall interactive meeting in Bwari last week, noted that he didn’t know Adamu until the last area council election, admitting that he was a “very formidable candidate.”

Wike said that after discussions, it was agreed to pick the then APC candidate and incumbent Bwari council chairman, Ishaku. The minister added that he persuaded Joshua to step down for Ishaku, owing to the plans for Tinubu’s re-election in the 2027 presidential election.

“Where is Julius? Come. Let me tell you why I tell you that it’s good to be humble. It’s good to obey your people. I never knew this young man until the last area council election, and he was a very formidable candidate, very formidable. But when I sat down with leadership, we agreed on Joshua, and I called him. I said, ‘Look, for the sake of what we are doing, planning for the next year’s election for Mr President, can you please step down so that we can have a free election?’

“He did not waste time. He said, ‘Sir, anything you tell me to do, as far as it’s for the interest of the people of Bwari, as far as it will unite the team of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I’m ready to do it.’ Instantly, he stepped down, and he said, ‘Please do me a favour; call my father.’ And I called his father, and the father said, ‘My son, I have seen what you are doing in Bwari; I hand him over to you. Anything you tell him to do, he will do it. Now you have told him to stand down, and I know he has done that before you. But let me say before you now; he will not run that election. He will support Joshua,'” Wike quoted Adamu’s father as saying.

The FCT minister added, “Let me say here today, immediately I leave here, I will send this name to Mr President for an appointment. He will be the man I will recommend to Mr President for him to be in charge of FCT UBEC.”

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At this moment, our correspondent observed that Joshua went on his knees to thank the minister. Likewise, 17 other members of the crowd — 13 men and four women — came towards Wike to express their joy over the minister’s announcement.

Wike noted Tinubu’s readiness to make the people of Bwari happy, saying, “So please, I have said anything that will make you happy; that is always what Mr President stands for.”

The minister urged the people to make efforts to ensure Tinubu and other APC candidates vying for different political offices become victorious in the 2027 elections.

“You see? I will say this again; don’t listen to political gamblers. Don’t listen to political kalukalu people. We are going to work with the President because we have seen what he’s doing for Bwari. We have seen that the President means well for you,” Wike added.

𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐎: 𝐖𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐂𝐓 𝐔𝐁𝐄𝐂 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐃𝐏 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐰 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐏𝐂

Credit: Viable TV
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