The Conference of Professionals in the People’s Democratic Party (CP-PDP) has strongly criticized President Bola Tinubu’s decision to remove the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) from the Treasury Single Account (TSA), labeling it as a dangerous move that opens the door to unaccountability and reckless mismanagement of the territory’s resources.
In a statement issued by its protem National Coordinator, Obinna Nwachukwu, the group called out the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Chief Nyesom Wike, demanding that he address the public through a live media conference to explain the financial management of his ministry.
The CP-PDP accused Wike of presiding over a regime riddled with allegations of corruption, including treasury looting, mismanagement of funds, land grabbing, racketeering, and the vindictive revocation and demolition of properties.
Nwachukwu highlighted that since the FCTA was excluded from the TSA’s oversight mechanisms, reports of opaque contract awards, inflated project costs, pillaging of collected levies, and non-compliance with due process in public spending have escalated.
“These allegations paint a troubling picture of governance in the FCT under Wike’s watch,” he said.
The group further alleged that Wike has imposed burdensome tariffs and multiple levies on residents, commuters, and businesses in the Federal Capital Territory since assuming office two years ago.
“This has placed an unnecessary strain on the people while questions about the utilization of these funds remain unanswered,” Nwachukwu added.
In a bold move, CP-PDP challenged the minister to “open the books” of the FCTA for public scrutiny, insisting that transparency and accountability are non-negotiable in a democratic government.
The group urged Wike to use the proposed live media conference to address the corruption claims and provide clarity on the funding sources for his frequent foreign trips, partisan activities, and lavish convoys, which they claim suggest a “popularity contest” with President Tinubu.
To prepare for what they hope will be Wike’s acceptance of the challenge, CP-PDP announced that it has instructed professionals in public accounts, procurement, land management, contract awards, project engineering, and monitoring to begin compiling relevant materials and memoranda for submission at the anticipated public hearing.
The statement concluded with a call to action, urging all stakeholders to hold the FCT administration accountable and ensure that the resources of the territory are managed in the best interest of its residents.
As the controversy unfolds, Nigerians await Wike’s response to the mounting pressure from the CP-PDP.
