President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday said the All Progressives Congress (APC) will gladly welcome Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), should he decide to join the ruling party.
Speaking during the inauguration of the newly completed Shehu Shagari Way and other strategic projects in Abuja’s Katampe district, Tinubu commended Wike’s leadership in driving critical infrastructure and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to urban transformation.
“He (Wike) is not a member of my party not yet. But the day he changes his mind and joins the progressives, we’ll welcome him with open arms,” Tinubu declared.
Describing the Shehu Shagari Way as a “critical infrastructure”, the President noted that the project embodies his administration’s reform and regeneration agenda, launched since assuming office on May 29, 2023.
“This project represents more than a stretch of asphalt… What was once missing as a link is now a modern, functional and durable infrastructure,” he said.
He emphasized the road’s impact on reducing traffic congestion in central Abuja and improving access to developing districts like Katampe, Jahi, and Mabushi. According to him, such investments would stimulate housing, business growth, and boost national competitiveness.
“Infrastructure is not logic. It is a necessity… There’s no way industrialisation will flourish without good roads,” he added, pledging continued investment in roads, rail, healthcare, education, and digital infrastructure.
In his remarks, Wike dismissed recent moves by opposition figures to forge a political coalition against Tinubu ahead of 2027, declaring that any such alliance would collapse.
“Let them come together. It will crumble,” he stated, in an apparent reference to recent meetings involving Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, and Nasir el-Rufai.