Lokpobiri: Even Wike’s critics must admit he has transformed Abuja

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, has said even the fiercest critics of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, cannot deny the transformation of Abuja’s infrastructure under his watch.

Lokpobiri described the pace of infrastructure development in the nation’s capital over the past three years as unprecedented, urging Nigerians to acknowledge Wike’s performance regardless of their political differences.

He spoke on Tuesday after accompanying Wike on an inspection of ongoing projects, including bridges on the Interchange Section 2 (ISEX 2) road linking Area 1 Roundabout to the Games Village, the Southern Parkway connecting Oladipo Diya Road to Lokogoma Road, and the S1 Road around the fire station in Gaduwa.

The projects are scheduled for commissioning next month and in January 2027.

Lokpobiri, who said he had lived in Abuja for about 19 years, expressed surprise at the speed of construction, noting that some projects had advanced significantly within months of their commencement.

“I never believed in my wildest dream that the roads that were flagged off in July, and we have already seen the level of completion,” he said.

The minister recalled moving to Abuja in 2007 after his election as senator, saying the scale of infrastructure development witnessed under Wike was unlike anything he had seen in the territory.

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“I have been in Abuja for about 19 years now. I came to Abuja in 2007, when I was elected senator, and I have been here, and the level of development we have seen in Abuja is unprecedented,” he said.

Lokpobiri challenged journalists and other residents to acknowledge the minister’s achievements, even if they disagreed with his politics.

“Even if you don’t like the FCT minister, you will give it to him that he will do the infrastructure, that even you too will benefit from,” he said.

He also disclosed that he was unaware of the construction of some of the projects despite living at the National Assembly quarters in Apo, about two kilometres from one of the bridges inspected.

“I stay in the National Assembly quarters in Apo that is just about maybe two kilometres away, and I never knew that this project was going on. I never even knew that this road is going on,” he said.

Lokpobiri congratulated Wike and President Bola Tinubu, whom he credited with providing the political support and resources necessary for the infrastructure drive.

He urged Nigerians to encourage public officials who deliver on their responsibilities, adding that Abuja’s transformation could improve further.

“Even if you don’t like him, you will give it to him that he has changed the landscape of Abuja, and it can only get better and better,” he said.