Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has thrown his weight behind the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the forthcoming Abuja Area Council elections, Christopher Maikalangu.
The election is scheduled for next February.
Maikalangu is the Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC). He defected recently from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), and is seeking re-election for a second term in office.
Wike urged residents of Tunga Madaki and neighbouring communities to reciprocate the Federal Government’s gesture by voting for the ruling party.
The minister spoke during the kick-off of the construction of a seven-kilometre road with four-span bridges linking Tunga Madaki and eight other settlements.
He said the project was in fulfillment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and a response to the community’s long-standing demand for infrastructure.
Wike recalled that the road project stemmed from earlier negotiations during the acquisition of land for the construction of a second runway at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
The minister said that though the land belongs to the FCT, the Aviation Ministry had to pay compensation, during which the affected communities demanded road access as a condition.
He said: ‘It was quite unfair that a people would surrender their ancestral land for a national project like a second runway, yet they had no access road, even to the airport they gave up the land for.
‘So, I took the matter to Mr. President and he said: ‘Whatever they ask for, give it to them.’ Today, we are here to fulfill that promise.”
Wike promised that the road would be completed next June to coincide with the third anniversary of President Tinubu’s administration.
The minister hailed the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), the project contractor, for committing to the timeline.
‘This is a government that listens, a government that keeps its promises. For the first time in your lives, you asked for one thing, and the government responded. That is what the Renewed Hope Agenda is all about.’
Wike lauded Maikalangu’s role in the project, describing him as an advocate for the community.
‘Maikalangu has never stopped reminding me about the promise made to you during the land compensation process.
‘He kept pressing, and here we are today. I am handing him over to you. Support him in the February 2026 elections so that by June, when the road is inaugurated, we’ll all dance together in celebration.’