Wike Endorses APC, Urges Support for Maikalangu Ahead of 2026 FCT Council Polls

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Monday openly declared support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the February 2026 Area Council elections, urging residents of Tunga Madaki and neighboring communities to vote for the ruling party.

Wike, a prominent chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), threw his weight behind the Chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Christopher Maikalangu, who recently defected from the PDP to the APC and is seeking re-election for a second term.

Speaking at the flag-off of a 7-kilometre road project with four-span bridges linking Tunga Madaki to eight other settlements, Wike said the initiative was part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and a direct response to demands made during land compensation negotiations for the second runway at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.

“It was unfair that a people surrendered their ancestral lands for a national project like a second runway, yet had no access road, even to the airport they gave land for. 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 said.

The minister disclosed that the project, being executed by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), would be completed and commissioned in June 2026, coinciding with President Tinubu’s third anniversary in office.

Calling on residents to reciprocate at the polls, Wike declared:
“One good turn deserves another. When you do for me, I do for you. When you fall for me, I fall for you. When you listen to me, I listen to you.”

He praised Maikalangu for consistently advocating for the project, describing him as “a tireless advocate” for his people, and urged voters to rally behind him in next year’s election so that the road commissioning in June could be “a joint celebration.”

Wike also challenged residents to evaluate past leadership in the council:
“You have had council chairmen before—did anyone remember Tunga Madaki? Did they connect you to the airport whose land you gave away? Ask them where they were when your roads were impassable. Remember the man who remembered you during the rainy season. This is a time to stand with the party that brought development to your doorstep.”

According to him, the new road will not only link the community to the airport through Bill Clinton Drive but also open up nine previously neglected settlements to development.

The February 2026 Council Polls are expected to be a key test of APC’s political strength in the FCT, where no ruling party has ever secured all six area councils in a single election.

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