Wike Defends N10m Reward for Councillors, Says It Is Not Vote-Buying
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has defended his promise to give councillors ₦10 million each for delivering their wards for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections, insisting that the offer is a reward for political mobilisation and not vote-buying.
Wike made the clarification on Tuesday while speaking with journalists during an inspection tour of ongoing infrastructure projects in Abuja.
The minister said he never instructed the councillors to use the money to induce voters but challenged them to demonstrate commitment by mobilising support for Tinubu and securing electoral victories in their respective wards.
“I didn’t tell them, ‘Take this money and go and buy votes.’ I said, ‘Go and work. Show commitment. Demonstrate that you really mean what you are talking about. When you win, come and we are going to reward you,’” Wike said.
He argued that rewarding political mobilisers for meeting agreed targets was different from giving voters money in exchange for their ballots.
To explain his position, Wike compared the proposed incentive to rewards given to athletes who win international competitions, noting that governments and individuals sometimes promise houses, cash and other benefits to recognise outstanding performances.
He questioned why a similar reward arrangement in politics should be interpreted as bribery.
The minister also criticised sections of the media for what he described as a failure to distinguish between rewarding political workers and inducing voters, arguing that political parties routinely spend money on campaign advertisements and other mobilisation activities.
Wike’s defence follows his announcement on Monday at a Rainbow Coalition stakeholders’ meeting in Kwali Area Council, where he promised ₦10 million to every councillor who successfully delivers his or her ward for Tinubu.
He had urged the councillors to engage community leaders, youth groups and associations to mobilise support for the President ahead of the 2027 elections.
The promise has generated public debate over the propriety of offering substantial financial rewards to elected grassroots representatives based on electoral outcomes.
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, also defended the proposal, arguing that the timing of the payment was important and that rewarding councillors after the election would not amount to vote-buying.
Yilwatda said the offer was intended to motivate political mobilisation rather than influence voters directly.
Wike has maintained that the proposed ₦10 million payment is a reward for political commitment and performance.