By Wumi Oyehan
The Renewed Hope Ambassador Coordinator for the President in Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Hon Abdullahi Adamu Candido, has described President Bola Tinubu’s administration as a blessing to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), saying it has brought democratic dividends and governance closer to indigenous people and other residents more than previous administrations.
Candido, who spoke at the FCT Stakeholders Assembly endorsement of Tinunu in Abuja said the development initiatives of the Tinubu administration, implemented through the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, had given indigenous communities a stronger sense of belonging.
The gathering brought together traditional rulers, political leaders, area council chairmen, indigenous communities and residents, who endorsed Tinubu for a second term, alongside Senator Philip Tanimu Aduda for the FCT senatorial seat, Hon John Gabaya for Abuja North Federal Constituency and former Kwali Area Council Chairman, Danladi Chiya, for Abuja South Federal Constituency.
Expressing appreciation for Wike’s leadership, Candido said the minister’s appointment had marked a turning point in the governance and development of the territory.
“Your coming to Abuja remains a blessing to the good people of the Federal Capital Territory. Some of us have seen successive administrations in Abuja, but we have never seen an administration that provided democratic dividends and brought government so close to the people as the administration of Mr President through you, the Minister,” he said.
He added that the FCT had witnessed unprecedented attention under the present administration, urging residents not to take the government’s interventions for granted.
“We have never had it so good. We will continue to add our voices to ensure that we do not become ingrates in Abuja, because this administration has done everything for us,” he said.
Candido said indigenous communities, including the Gbagyi, Gana-Gana, Ibira, Koro, Hausa, Gaide and Bassa, were beginning to experience a stronger sense of representation in government.
According to him, the present administration had created an opportunity for indigenous people to feel that their aspirations and interests were being recognised.
He expressed concern over what he described as the lack of appreciation by some politicians for the administration’s contributions to the territory, urging residents to place the collective interest of the FCT above partisan considerations.
Referring to an incident at Barnex Plaza in Abuja, Candido questioned why anyone benefiting from the government’s presence and development interventions in the territory would oppose its activities because of political affiliations.
He also urged the Minister and other political stakeholders to identify genuine supporters and distinguish them from those he described as pretenders.
“Some politicians can be very dishonest. What they say is not exactly what is in them. We have pretenders, and we have to speak out so that we can identify those who are truly working with and supporting you, and those who are behind the scenes trying to do the other way,” he said.
On the FCT senatorial race, Candido described Aduda as the best senator the territory had produced, arguing that his record in office distinguished him from previous representatives.
“Senator Aduda will go into history as the best senator ever produced in the Federal Capital Territory. We had resident senators and indigenous senators in the past; their records are there. Senator Philip Aduda’s record is here, and everybody can see it,” he said.
He urged residents, particularly those who had benefited from the administration’s interventions, to demonstrate their support through active participation in the political process.
“This is the only opportunity that we have, and we should never play with it. We will never allow this government to go without our support. We need to support this administration 100 per cent,” he said.
Candido, who said he had toured the 17 graded chiefdoms in the FCT as Renewed Hope Ambassador, added that traditional rulers had witnessed the minister’s development initiatives.
He, however, called for greater inclusiveness in the composition of the FCT administration, urging the Minister to ensure adequate representation for the nine traditional chiefdom and Nigerians from different ethnic backgrounds residing in the territory.
He said all communities should have a sense of belonging, irrespective of whether they were indigenous or non-indigenous residents.
Recalling his tenure as chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Candido said he had deliberately promoted ethnic balance in appointments to key positions.
He disclosed that his first vice-chairman was an Igbo man, his first-term council secretary was Hausa, while a Yoruba person served as council secretary during his second term.
“I believe in inclusivity. I made sure that among the cabinet, we had representation from every shade of opinion in the background,” he said.
Candido urged Wike to sustain the approach by ensuring that Nigerians from different ethnic groups living in Abuja were represented in the next administration, while the nine traditional chiefdoms received due recognition.
He expressed confidence that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would win the 2027 general elections, pledging the support of the Renewed Hope movement for Tinubu’s re-election.
“By the grace of God, APC is going to win this election 100 per cent, and we are not going to regret it,” he said.