By Ibrahim Babangida Lawal
Abuja, the jewel in Nigeria’s administrative crown — our nation’s symbolic seat of governance — is under siege. Not by bandits or foreign powers, but by a singularly belligerent political actor: Chief Barrister Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, the self-styled emperor of impunity, now masquerading as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. What is unfolding under his watch is not governance, but a grotesque parody of democracy — a reign of intimidation and imposed loyalty, where arrogance tramples on accountability.
Wike’s brand of politics is not an ideology; it’s a dangerous cocktail of inflated ego, belligerent posturing, and unrepentant strong-arm tactics. For the denizens of the FCT, it is no longer a theoretical discourse — it is a lived, choking reality.
*An Emperor in a Democratic Costume*
Let it be said with clarity: Wike does not govern; he rules. With the airs of a conquistador and the temperament of a feudal overlord, he treats the FCT like a conquered territory rather than the heart of a democratic republic. His speeches reek of menace, not leadership. His tone? That of a man drunk on the aroma of unchecked power.
Recall his now-infamous declaration during the inauguration of the FCT Mandate Secretaries on September 13, 2023: “If you don’t do well, I will sack you. I don’t have time. FCT is not a place to joke.”
This isn’t a call for excellence. It’s a threat — an arrogant, testosterone-fueled warning that underscores Wike’s pathological aversion to dialogue and democratic norms. He doesn’t seek results; he demands submission.
*Wike’s Thuggocratic Doctrine*
Wike’s so-called political philosophy is nothing but a well-rehearsed performance of coercion. Behind the theatrics is a playbook riddled with menace: co-opt the institutions, bully the dissenters, and bulldoze all opposition — literally and figuratively.
This is a man who cut his teeth in Rivers State politics by weaponizing state power against perceived enemies. Today, in the FCT, that same gangsterish legacy is rearing its ugly head. Entire communities face demolitions not because of planning violations, but because they are deemed politically unaligned. Civil servants are warned — “align or be discarded.”
On October 4, 2023, he dropped all pretenses of public service and bared his autocratic fangs: “If you are not loyal, you go. We are not here to play politics. Loyalty is 100%.”
This is not governance. This is a mafia don laying down his rules — and woe betide anyone who dares to breathe outside his echo chamber. Wike has blurred the line between public office and personal property. The FCT is not his playground, yet he struts about as if he owns it — intoxicated by a false sense of invincibility.
*From Bulldozers to Bully Pulpits*
Let’s not forget how Wike, in his typical display of performative governance, weaponizes demolition squads as tools of terror. Yes, Abuja needs order and development — but not at the cost of justice, equity, and human dignity. Selective enforcement, biased targeting, and ethnic undertones are slowly becoming the norm. Under his watch, governance has been reduced to optics — bulldozers, photo-ops, and bombastic press briefings.
But behind the fanfare lies a disturbing truth: Wike’s administration has become a one-man show where fear is policy, sycophancy is rewarded, and competence is sacrificed on the altar of cronyism.
*The Tyranny of Unquestioned Power*
What Wike is attempting in Abuja is nothing short of political colonization. He has disbanded democratic structures, sidelined constitutional checks, and repurposed the FCT as a petri dish for his autocratic experiments. The appointment of unelected local administrators is not administrative expediency — it is daylight robbery of the people’s democratic rights.
His constant jabs at the National Assembly, accusing them of legislative impotence, further expose his disdain for institutional balance. Wike’s vision of power is one where the rule of law bows before the rule of one man.
The FCT was never designed to serve as a political fiefdom. Yet under Wike, it is degenerating into a theatre of political suppression — a place where silence is demanded, and opposition is criminalized.
*Wike’s arrogant attempt to suppress democratic aspirations*
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has advised members of opposition parties not to waste their time and money ahead of the FCT area council polls scheduled for February 21, 2026.
The Minister stated this on Tuesday when Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jubrin represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to inaugurated the right-hand service of Inner Northern Expressway from Ring Road 3 (RR3) to Outer Northern Expressway popularly known as Murtala Expressway, from Idu to Zuba districts of the nation’s capital, Abuja.
Minister Wike’s dismissive prognostications regarding the opposition’s prospects in the forthcoming FCT area council polls reek of hubris and an attempt to preemptively delegitimize the democratic process. One wonders if such pronouncements are designed to assuage the ruling party’s anxieties or merely serve as a vainglorious display of partisan triumphalism.
*A Clarion Call to Resistance*
This is no time for docility. Abuja’s residents — intellectuals, activists, traditional leaders, and the masses — must rise from this induced slumber. This is more than a matter of policy; it is a war for the soul of Nigeria’s capital.
Wike’s excesses cannot be explained away or normalized. They must be called out, challenged, and stopped. Left unchecked, his blueprint of coercion and domination could become the default template for future tyrants.
*Conclusion: Either We Resist, or We Regret*
History doesn’t forgive cowards. If we, the denizens of the FCT, allow Wike’s authoritarianism to entrench itself, we will have no moral ground to stand on when future despots rise. The alarm bells are ringing — and only the complacent are deaf.
Abuja must not be transformed into a glorified autocracy dressed in democratic garments. We must resist this creeping tyranny with the full force of our civic resolve. Wike may fancy himself a lion, but this is not his jungle.
We are watching. And we will not be silent.
