‘…you couldn’t do Makurdi-Agwanga road as Senate President for eight years’
By Ralph Edwards
FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has hit back at the African Democratic Congress, ADC, over its recent press release criticizing President Bola Tinubu, saying the opposition party has inadvertently admitted that the Tinubu administration has delivered “very well” on road infrastructure.
Wike, who spoke in Abuja was reacting to an ADC statement which he said included the line “they won’t eat road alone.” He seized on the phrase to argue that roads remain the backbone of development and that the current government’s investments in that sector are already changing lives across the country.
“I got a text of ADC’s press release to President Tinubu, where they said they won’t eat road alone. Beautiful, ADC has agreed that President Tinubu has done very well in road infrastructure. Let us start with that first. Without roads, you can’t go to hospitals, schools, and farms,” the minister said.
The ADC had issued a press release faulting President Tinubu’s performance, but Wike said the party’s wording betrayed a concession on infrastructure. According to him, roads unlock access to essential services and economic opportunities, and Nigerians are already feeling the impact of ongoing projects under the Tinubu-led administration.
Turning his attention to ADC’s National Chairman, David Mark, Wike drew a sharp contrast between Mark’s eight years as Senate President and what he described as the progress recorded today. He said Mark, who headed the Senate from 2007 to 2015, presided over a period when the Agwanga-Makurdi road remained in a deplorable state despite being awarded during that administration.
“Let me say to the ADC National Chairman. I don’t know which of the factions, but I know David Mark is the chairman of one of the factions. He was Senate President for 8 years uninterrupted. The road from Agwanga-Makurdi was awarded when he was Senate President in the ruling government then. Poor people couldn’t go back home to Makurdi, but Mark, as the then Senate President, was flying with helicopter to his village,” Wike stated.
The minister argued that the inability of ordinary citizens to ply the road forced many to stay away from their homes in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, while those in power resorted to air travel. He said the situation exposed a disconnect between leadership and the realities faced by the masses during that period.
“But today, under this administration, we can now drive to Makurdi freely,” Wike added, pointing to what he called a clear difference in commitment and delivery. He maintained that the Tinubu government is prioritizing projects that directly affect the daily lives of Nigerians, unlike past administrations that awarded contracts without follow-through.
Wike’s comments come amid renewed political exchanges between the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and the ADC, which has positioned itself as a key opposition platform ahead of future elections. The ADC has been vocal in criticizing the Tinubu administration on economic and security issues, but Wike insisted that infrastructure, particularly roads, should not be downplayed.
Road infrastructure has been one of the flagship focus areas of the Tinubu administration since May 2023. The government has rolled out several highway projects under the “Renewed Hope” agenda, including work on major federal roads and the controversial Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. Officials argue that improved road networks will reduce transport costs, boost agriculture, and improve access to healthcare and education.
Political analysts note that infrastructure has become a major talking point in Nigeria’s political discourse, with both the ruling party and opposition seeking to claim credit or assign blame for the country’s road conditions. For many commuters and traders, the state of federal roads has long been a measure of government performance.
Wike, a former Rivers State governor known for his focus on infrastructure, said Nigerians should judge leaders by tangible results. He urged the ADC and other critics to acknowledge progress where it exists instead of dismissing road projects as insufficient.
“You can criticize government, that is democracy. But when you say ‘you won’t eat road alone,’ you are already accepting that roads are being built and that they matter. Let us be fair. A child who cannot reach school because the road is bad has lost his future. A farmer who cannot move produce to market because the road is impassable remains poor. So roads are not ‘alone’ — they are the foundation,” he said.
The minister’s remarks are expected to deepen the back-and-forth between the APC and ADC in the coming days, as both sides gear up to shape public opinion on the Tinubu administration’s two-year record. For now, Wike says the fact that Nigerians can “drive to Makurdi freely” is evidence enough that the government is on the right track.
