I didn’t nominate candidate for INEC chair – Wike

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed reports that he boycotted last week’s Council of State meeting because his preferred nominee was not considered for the position of Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Speaking on Tuesday at the commissioning of an access road in Sector Centre, Dakibiyu, Jabi District of Abuja, Wike described such claims as “propaganda and blackmail,” saying he had no nominee for the INEC job.

“Sometimes last week Thursday, we had a flag off, and I told the Minister of State, FCT, to represent me at the Council of State meeting. I had already informed Mr President that I would not be available because of other engagements. But people went out to say I was absent because my nominee was not picked for INEC chairmanship. That is not true. I work for Mr President. His judgment has always been about putting this country in the right perspective,” Wike said.

President Bola Tinubu had at the meeting presented his nominee Prof. Joash Amupitan as INEC chairman, but some partisans had alleged that Wike boycotted the meeting because his preferred candidate for the job was not approved by the president.

According to Wike, critics have ran out of points as the FCT continues to roll out infrastructure projects across the capital.

“Today, they have nothing again to say. They say we are concentrating on roads. I say, cool down. Take it easy. Very soon, they will see us focusing on schools. So, critics have nothing again to say. They wake up in the morning, turn on their television, and it is FCT everywhere. We will keep them busy with more projects,” he said.