Wike: Appeal Court Nullified My Election, but I Am Creating a Conducive Environment for the Judiciary

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, announced on Tuesday that he has continued to provide a supportive environment for judicial officers, even after the Court of Appeal nullified his election.

Wike stated that although the Appeal Court voided his election, he remains committed to ensuring that judges have a conducive working environment.

He made the remarks during the commissioning of the Judges Quarters at the Court of Appeal and the flag‑off ceremony for the construction of quarters for the Industrial Court and the Code of Conduct Tribunal, which was presided over by President Bola Tinubu.

President Tinubu was represented at the event by the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi.

Wike also highlighted that the federal government cannot undertake all projects alone and called on states to take a more active role.

According to Wike: “The federal government can’t do everything. I challenge states and governors: if there is one division in State A and the governor knows that the Federal High Court is located there, who are they serving? They are not serving State B but State A.”

He added: “The Court of Appeal is there—who are they serving? It’s your state. The Industrial Court is there. When I was governor, we used to send cases to Bayelsa State for the Industrial Court, and 80 percent of those cases came from Rivers. I asked why we were going to Bayelsa. I met the then‑President of the Industrial Court, and he said the state was not willing, but I said, ‘I’m willing. Give me the designs and we will build for them, provide accommodations, and today our people no longer have to go to Bayelsa to have their cases heard.’”

He further explained: “Justice Bulkachuwa was the president of the Court of Appeal, and my election was nullified. I will not agree to do anything that would harm my people. Look at the residences of the justices; I did not wait for the federal government, because if I had, it would have taken longer. I challenge states not to leave everything to the federal government.”