{"id":36905,"date":"2026-09-02T09:18:36","date_gmt":"2026-09-02T08:18:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/?p=36905"},"modified":"2026-09-02T15:59:45","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T14:59:45","slug":"the-masterstroke-of-tinubu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/02\/the-masterstroke-of-tinubu\/","title":{"rendered":"The Masterstroke of Tinubu"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By Asukwo Mendie Archibong Esq.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The only \u201cmasterstroke\u201d Bola Ahmed Tinubu has made as president of Nigeria, according to lawyer and commentator A.M. Archibong, was the appointment of Nyesom Wike as minister of the Federal Capital Territory, with the writer also crediting Tinubu with helping facilitate the emergence of Godswill Akpabio as Senate president.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Archibong argues that Wike\u2019s appointment stands out because of the minister\u2019s visible focus on infrastructure and urban development in Abuja. He contends that Wike\u2019s performance could influence how some voters assess Tinubu\u2019s administration ahead of Nigeria\u2019s next general election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wike, a former governor of Rivers state, became FCT minister in August 2023 after Tinubu formed his first cabinet. His appointment was notable because he had been a prominent member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party while Tinubu contested the presidency under the All Progressives Congress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The writer contrasts Wike\u2019s tenure with those of previous FCT ministers, arguing that Abuja had suffered from inadequate development under successive administrations. The article credits Wike with an aggressive approach to road construction, urban renewal and other infrastructure projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"696\" height=\"464\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.funminews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/550533134_10161288831180723_7762925660930042277_n.jpg?resize=696%2C464\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-36088\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.funminews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/550533134_10161288831180723_7762925660930042277_n.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.funminews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/550533134_10161288831180723_7762925660930042277_n.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.funminews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/550533134_10161288831180723_7762925660930042277_n.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.funminews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/550533134_10161288831180723_7762925660930042277_n.jpg?resize=1536%2C1023&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.funminews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/550533134_10161288831180723_7762925660930042277_n.jpg?resize=630%2C420&amp;ssl=1 630w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.funminews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/550533134_10161288831180723_7762925660930042277_n.jpg?resize=696%2C464&amp;ssl=1 696w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.funminews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/550533134_10161288831180723_7762925660930042277_n.jpg?resize=1068%2C712&amp;ssl=1 1068w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.funminews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/550533134_10161288831180723_7762925660930042277_n.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.funminews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/550533134_10161288831180723_7762925660930042277_n.jpg?w=1392 1392w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Asukwo Mendie Archibong Esq<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Archibong presents this as a political dilemma for voters who may oppose Tinubu but approve of Wike\u2019s record in Abuja. The writer argues that removing Tinubu could also mean losing what he describes as the administration\u2019s most effective cabinet performer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The commentary further proposes that Wike could serve in another federal portfolio after Tinubu\u2019s tenure, suggesting the defense or internal security ministries as possible options. Archibong argues that Wike\u2019s forceful administrative style could produce a significant impact in tackling insecurity, including kidnapping and other violent crimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The article also turns its attention to Peter Obi, the Labour Party\u2019s 2023 presidential candidate, criticizing what Archibong describes as a lack of impact in Akwa Ibom state. The writer references Obi\u2019s family connections to the state while questioning why residents should support him based on those ties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Archibong\u2019s argument reflects the wider political debate surrounding Nigeria\u2019s 2027 presidential contest, in which questions of regional representation, governance, performance and political alliances are expected to remain central.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The writer also looks beyond the next election, suggesting that Wike should consider seeking the presidency after Tinubu. Archibong argues that Nigeria should prioritize competence and leadership capacity rather than whether a candidate comes from the North or South.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The commentary concludes with a question about a court file involving Tinubu that the president allegedly wants kept from public view. The claim is presented by Archibong as a point of concern, although the commentary does not provide details establishing what the file contains or why it is allegedly being withheld.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Overall, the piece is an opinion commentary rather than an independent assessment of the Tinubu administration or Wike\u2019s performance. Its central argument is that Wike\u2019s visibility in Abuja could become an important factor in how some Nigerians evaluate Tinubu\u2019s presidency and the political choices ahead.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Asukwo Mendie Archibong Esq. The only \u201cmasterstroke\u201d Bola Ahmed Tinubu has made as president of Nigeria, according to lawyer and commentator A.M. Archibong, was the appointment of Nyesom Wike as minister of the Federal Capital Territory, with the writer also crediting Tinubu with helping facilitate the emergence of Godswill Akpabio as Senate president. Archibong [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":36909,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":false,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"","_twitter_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type":"","_pinterest_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"","_medium_share_type":"","_threads_share_type":"","_bluesky_share_type":"","_mastodon_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"","timeOption":"","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":""},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[4,5,3,1138],"tags":[22454,157,23376,21765,23374,2088,2090,146,872,563,23378,23377,23379,23380,561],"class_list":["post-36905","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-international","category-naija-news","category-politics","tag-2027elections","tag-abuja","tag-bolaahmedtinubu","tag-fct","tag-godswillakpabio","tag-governance","tag-leadership","tag-nigeria","tag-nigerianpolitics","tag-nigeriapolitics","tag-nyesomwike","tag-peterobi","tag-politicalcommentary","tag-politicsandgovernance","tag-tinubu"],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.funminews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/02e13c2c-fb68-4aff-a01a-64e13ebff8c9.jpg?fit=1250%2C1250&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36905","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36905"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36905\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36934,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36905\/revisions\/36934"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36909"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36905"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36905"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36905"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}