ABUJA: Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has defended his promise to reward councillors with ₦10 million each for successfully mobilising political support and delivering their respective wards ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Wike dismissed allegations that the proposed financial reward amounted to vote-buying, insisting that the offer was intended to encourage political mobilisation, commitment and hard work rather than induce voters to support a particular candidate.
The minister made the clarification on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, while speaking with journalists during an inspection tour of ongoing infrastructure projects in Abuja.
His comments followed public criticism of his reported promise to give each councillor ₦10 million for delivering their wards in support of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
Responding to the controversy, Wike maintained that he never instructed councillors to distribute money to voters in exchange for their votes.
According to him, the offer was a performance-based incentive for political mobilisers who could demonstrate commitment and achieve the targets set before them.
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, the minister said.
To justify his position, the former Rivers State governor compared the proposed ₦10 million reward to incentives given to athletes who win international competitions.
He argued that governments and organisations routinely promise houses, cash prizes and other benefits to athletes who achieve outstanding results, describing such arrangements as incentives for hard work and performance.
Wike questioned why similar financial incentives in politics should automatically be interpreted as vote-buying.
He also criticised sections of the media for what he considered an inadequate distinction between rewarding political organisers for achieving mobilisation targets and financially inducing voters to influence their electoral decisions.
The minister argued that political parties and candidates routinely spend substantial sums on campaign advertisements and other political activities without attracting the same level of scrutiny.
He urged journalists to examine the circumstances surrounding financial incentives in political activities rather than treating every promised reward as electoral bribery.
The FCT minister’s defence comes amid growing political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections, with political parties and their supporters intensifying mobilisation efforts.
Wike maintained that political mobilisation should be driven by commitment, performance and the ability to convince voters to support a candidate.
He also reiterated his support for President Tinubu, insisting that his position was informed by the administration’s development agenda rather than party affiliation.
According to him, Nigerians who genuinely desire national development should support policies and programmes that promote infrastructure development and economic progress.
Speaking during the same inspection tour, Wike expressed satisfaction with the progress of ongoing infrastructure projects across the Federal Capital Territory.
The projects inspected included Interchange Section 2 (ISEX 2), the Southern Parkway and the S1 Road, which incorporates a fire station.
He said the projects were progressing towards completion by December 15, 2026, ahead of the January 16, 2027 general elections.
The minister added that infrastructure projects delivered under President Tinubu’s administration would feature prominently in the campaign for the President’s re-election.
Wike’s comments place the proposed ₦10 million councillor reward within the wider political debate over campaign mobilisation, financial incentives and the distinction between rewarding political workers and inducing voters ahead of the 2027 elections.
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