Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday fired a blunt warning that democracy means nothing to Nigerians if it fails to deliver good roads, steady power, quality schools and better living conditions.
Speaking at the 2026 Annual Distinguished Personality Lecture at the University of Abuja, Wike said democracy must move beyond “just conducting elections” and start producing visible results that citizens can see and feel.
“Democracy must go beyond electoral rituals,” Wike declared. “For the market woman, the civil servant, the artisan and the student, democracy is not theory. It must mean roads that work, hospitals that heal, water that runs and security that reassures.”
The lecture, themed ‘Exemplary Political Leadership and Infrastructural Development in Nigeria: Between Dividends of Democracy and Good Governance,’ drew academics, students and policymakers to the university’s main campus in Abuja.
In his characteristically forceful tone, the Minister described infrastructure as “the most honest test of leadership.”
“Where democracy delivers infrastructure, it earns legitimacy. Where it fails, it breeds anger and cynicism,” he said. “Infrastructure is not just concrete and steel it is the backbone of nationhood.”
Wike blamed Nigeria’s development struggles on poor leadership over the years, insisting that the country has enough resources and ideas but lacks courageous decision-making.
“Nations are not built by resources alone. They are built by leaders with vision, courage and discipline,” he said.
He, however, praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for taking what he described as bold and painful decisions, especially the removal of fuel subsidy.
“From day one, he showed courage by removing a policy everyone knew was damaging the economy but was afraid to touch,” Wike said. “Yes, it came with pain, but it also freed resources and restored discipline.”
Turning to Abuja, Wike boasted that the FCT is fast becoming a model of what purposeful leadership can achieve.
“In less than three years, Abuja has witnessed massive infrastructural renewal. Abandoned projects are back to life. Roads are being completed. Order is returning,” he said.
“Abuja is not just a city; it is Nigeria’s image. What we build here reflects who we are as a nation.”
He insisted that in the FCT, infrastructure is treated as a right, not a political favour.
“Leadership is not about pleasing everybody. It is about doing what is right and lawful for the greater good,” he said.
Chairman of the occasion and former top official of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Prof. Aminu Ibrahim Gusau, threw his weight behind the Minister, saying Wike’s performance could be measured by visible projects, not mere promises.
“I am a technocrat and a scholar. What I see is measurable performance,” Gusau said, pointing to completed roads and renewed attention to satellite towns like Kubwa, Bwari and Karu.
He added that while other sectors may still be battling challenges nationwide, “Abuja tells a different story.”
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Prof. Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi, described the lecture as timely, saying Nigerians are eager to see democracy translate into development.
He also appealed to the FCT Administration for continued support in fixing internal roads, hostels, water supply and security on campus.
Earlier, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Prof. Mutiullah Olasupo, urged students to protect Nigeria’s democracy and avoid political violence as the country moves closer to another election season.
“We must not destroy what has been built over the last three decades,” he warned.
The event ended with a clear message from Wike: democracy must be practical, visible and impactful or risk losing the trust of the people.
