Ongoing Road Projects Will Form Part Of Tinubu’s Christmas Gift To FCT Residents- Wike
Ongoing major road projects across urban and rural corridors of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) will be completed and commissioned by December 2026 as part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Christmas gifts to residents, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, has declared.
The Minister gave the assurance in Abuja on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, during a routine inspection tour of critical infrastructure projects scheduled for completion ahead of the upcoming general elections.
Among the project sites evaluated were the Arterial Road N1 connecting Wuye to Ring Road 2 (RR2), the Tunga Madaki to Zuba Road, and the 5.6-kilometer rural road network spanning Zaudna, Kabba, and Kagini communities near Dei Dei, complete with solar-powered street lighting systems.
Addressing journalists after the inspection, the Minister expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of construction, and commended the contractors for their dedication to project timelines despite weather challenges.
“I am very impressed with the progress we have seen so far and with the commitment of the contractors. But for the heavy rains, they would have gone much further. From the first week of October, as the rains subside, earthworks will intensify. They are contractors who have worked with us before, we know their capacity, and I am confident they will meet the December schedule”, Wike stated.
Highlighting the transformative impact of the 5.6km Zaudna-Kabba-Kagini road when completed, the Minister emphasized that extending modern infrastructure to underserved rural areas remains a cornerstone of the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“We promised residents that these projects will be part of their Christmas gifts from Mr. President so they can go home and enjoy the festivities. When you look at rural areas like this, opening up the roads changes the local economy completely. That is the essence of good governance — when the people are happy, we are happy”, he added.
Addressing recent public statements by the Senator representing the FCT, Ireti Kingibe, claiming the FCT Administration acquired loans illegally without statutory clearance, the Minister dismissed the assertions as baseless and politically motivated.
He clarified that all financing mechanisms utilized by the FCT Administration strictly adhered to legislative guidelines and bear explicit National Assembly authorization through approved budgetary provisions.
“There is no way we can go and take loans without the approval of the National Assembly. If you want to take loan, you will include it in the budget that this aspect of this budget, that you are going to collect loan. I don’t want to comment about her because she is already packing her things out. The people have made their choice by going to support President Tinubu and they will support Phillip Aduda. I thought she will criticize that I’m doing nothing. Now her problem is that I took loans. Assuming I took loans, her concerns would have been the how we are applying the loans for the interest of the residents”, the Minister asserted.
Responding to questions regarding how he intends to balance his administrative duties with political campaigning as the election season approaches, Wike noted that the administration’s visible infrastructure record serves as its primary campaign platform.
He called on residents of the Kabba and Kagini communities to reject political rhetorics from opposition figures and deliver their votes for President Tinubu and Senator Philip Aduda in the forthcoming elections.
“Look at what we are doing — that is the campaign itself. The work speaks for itself. Who will see these massive infrastructure transformations across the FCT and look elsewhere? We are doing our job delivering infrastructure, and that performance is our strongest campaign to tell the people why they should vote for the President”, the Minister remarked.
