Saturday June 14, 2025|

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has declared that President Bola Tinubu’s achievements are visibly transforming Nigeria’s capital and beyond, insisting that the legacy of the current administration is “not debatable.”

Akpabio stated this yesterday while representing President Tinubu at the commissioning of the newly completed 15km Left-Hand Service Carriageway of the Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX) Phase II, stretching from Ring Road I junction to Wassa Junction in Abuja.

Akpabio, who resides close to the Aso Villa, said each time he drives through the flyover that links the Villa to Asokoro, he is reminded that “God is alive.”

Commending the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, he said: “Even the blind that walk through this Wasa road will know Nigeria is indeed working. As you are in Parliament, the President of Nigeria is walking.”

He however urged the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to stay focused and not be distracted by critics.

“Nobody will remember you for the way you answered your critics. They will remember you for the legacies that you are leaving on ground. And we are seeing the legacy,” Akpabio said, adding that the OSEX carriageway is part of a broader national infrastructure agenda that includes “superhighways, bridges, railways, airports, and much more.”

Akpabio praised the quality and speed of execution by the FCT Administration and the contractor, describing the new road as a “significant addition” to Abuja’s transport backbone.

He called on residents to protect the infrastructure, saying it will “serve as a pathway to increased economic opportunities, safer transportation, and stronger community growth.”

Speaking earlier, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike highlighted Tinubu’s commitment to completing abandoned or delayed projects.

“It is important for people to know that part of your policy is not for you just to award contracts… You have said it time and time again that every project, whether awarded in your tenure or during your predecessors, must be completed,” Wike said.

He revealed that the road, originally awarded in 2017 at ₦6 billion, rose to ₦21 billion by 2021 due to variations.

However, Wike noted that the work was stalled because of lack of funding until Tinubu’s administration intervened.

“To the glory of God, money was made available, and today, you are here to commission this road,” he said.

Wike described the engineering feat achieved on the road, especially at the rock-blasting section, as proof that the project was far from “ordinary.”

He noted, “500 meters of rock was blasted to open up the road, and that is the beauty of this place… From Wassa now, you can go to Takushera, to Ketti, Kabusa. These are roads within the communities that have now opened up.”

The Minister also took a swipe at critics of the Tinubu administration and the recently inaugurated Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre.

“People are criticizing the International Conference Center… There are people naturally, they don’t have good taste. Everything there was changed. Only the block work remained,” he said.

Responding to those who questioned naming the ICC after Tinubu, Wike argued: “Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport was not built by Nnamdi Azikiwe. Moshood Abiola Stadium was not built by Moshood Abiola. So, why should Tinubu not be honoured?”

Wike also lambasted opposition voices who faulted his decisions, including the allocation of facilities to Senate President Akpabio and Speaker Abbas.

“You say, oh, they gave hall to the Senate President… If I don’t give it to the Senate President, is it you on television telling lies every day that I will give it to?”

He reaffirmed his unwavering support for President Tinubu and his administration, stating: “We are not tired. We continue to work… I am not here to please unnecessary critics; I am here to please the residents of Abuja. Not unnecessary critics. I have no business with you.”

Wike ended his remarks by calling on Apo residents and traders to keep faith with the administration that has delivered on promises.

“Now, this man came and said, Abuja people, don’t worry. I am going to do the road and he has done it… When that time comes, give me o,” he said, hinting at political reciprocity in 2027.