Ulasi: Wike’s Abuja Transformation Silences the Critics

The landscape of Nigeria’s capital city is undergoing a profound metamorphosis, and according to Dan Ulasi, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the credit belongs squarely to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike. In a spirited defense of the Minister’s record, Ulasi has dared critics to take a physical tour of the territory, asserting that Wike’s performance in less than three years has already eclipsed decades of administrative inertia. Speaking on Arise Television’s The Morning Show on Thursday, February 5, 2026, the PDP stalwart maintained that Wike is effectively replicating the “Mr. Projects” legacy he established during his eight-year tenure as Governor of Rivers State.

For residents and observers of Abuja’s development, the evidence of this transformation is increasingly difficult to ignore. As the city marks its 50th anniversary this February, the FCT administration is racing toward a significant milestone: the commissioning of nearly 50 projects since Wike assumed office in 2023. From the dualization of major arterial roads to the expansion of satellite town infrastructure, the Minister’s footprint is being etched into districts that were previously overlooked by the central planning authorities.

Ulasi highlighted that Wike’s approach to governance in Abuja has been characterized by an aggressive commitment to the master plan. He noted that the Minister is fixing roads in areas where residents had long given up hope of seeing government presence. This includes the strategic linking of the Airport Road to communities like Tunga Madaki and the extension of critical road networks toward Zuba. By opening up these underserved corridors, the administration is not just improving traffic flow but is effectively integrating the rural fringes of the FCT into the economic heartbeat of the capital.

The scale of ongoing work is staggering. High-profile projects such as the Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX) and the Apo-Wassa road network are nearing completion, with several slated for inauguration during President Bola Tinubu’s third-year anniversary celebrations in May and August. Ulasi argued that this consistent delivery of results provides “exemplary” evidence of what can be achieved when public office is used as a tool for the common good. He dismissed the idea that these efforts are mere political optics, insisting that the quality and pace of the work—overseen by major international and local contractors—speak for themselves.

Furthermore, the PDP chieftain touched on the Minister’s ability to navigate complex administrative challenges. Despite recent industrial actions and the shifting tides of 2027 political maneuvering, Wike has maintained that his focus remains on the “Renewed Hope Agenda.” Ulasi noted that even traditional and national leaders, including emirs and sultans, who frequently visited Rivers State to commission projects under Wike, would find his current pace in Abuja familiar. This history of performance, Ulasi suggested, makes Wike “unchallengeable” on the field of infrastructure.

One of the more ambitious aspects of the current FCT agenda is the “Light Up Abuja” program, which has begun installing hybrid solar streetlights across districts like Maitama, Wuse, and the Airport Expressway. Beyond the aesthetics of a lit city, this initiative is a crucial component of the broader security and urban renewal strategy. Ulasi pointed out that the Minister’s work extends beyond asphalt and concrete to include the construction of official residences for heads of national courts and the expansion of water supply schemes in satellite towns like Bwari and Karu.

Critics of the Minister have often pointed to his polarizing political style, but Ulasi maintains that performance should be the ultimate yardstick for accountability. He lamented a national culture that sometimes ignores tangible progress in favor of political sentiment. By offering to “foot the bill” for any critic willing to inspect the project sites, Ulasi has positioned Wike as a leader whose work provides its own defense. He argued that while Wike cannot do everything “overnight,” the manifest progress in districts like Katampe and Gishiri proves that the machinery of government is finally functioning at full throttle.

As Abuja celebrates its Golden Jubilee, the Minister has promised that 2026 will be a year of “massive infrastructure turnaround” unlike anything seen since the city’s creation in 1976. For Dan Ulasi, the message to the nation is clear: the FCT is no longer a stagnant administrative hub but a construction site of progress. Whether it is the completion of the Abuja Light Rail Phase II or the rehabilitation of the 15km Old Keffi Road, the narrative of the city is being rewritten through the lens of performance, leaving the skeptics with fewer places to hide.