President Tinubu Wike ICC renovation sparks outrage as Tinubu invites FCT Minister Wike to APC. Peter Obi, CUPP demand accountability
Tinubu Wike ICC renovation controversy has dominated the political scene following President Bola Tinubu’s open invitation to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike to join the All Progressives Congress (APC), while opposition leaders lashed out at the Federal Capital Territory Administration’s (FCTA) N39 billion renovation of the International Conference Centre (ICC) and its renaming in Tinubu’s honour.
Also read: Abuja International Conference Centre renamed after Tinubu, mandates payment for its use
Speaking at the commissioning of a key arterial road in Abuja, Tinubu commended Wike’s performance in transforming the FCT, despite Wike remaining a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“He’s not a member of my party, not yet,” Tinubu said, “but the day he changes his mind, we will welcome him.” He described Wike as a political asset whose eventual defection would be celebrated.
Wike, in turn, assured the President that the coalition of politicians plotting against him ahead of the 2027 elections had failed, attributing the collapse of their plans to Tinubu’s performance and infrastructure delivery.
He accused the opposition of being perpetually unhappy, regardless of positive developments in the country.
However, Tinubu and Wike’s remarks were overshadowed by widespread backlash over the FCTA’s N39 billion expenditure on the ICC refurbishment.
The facility, originally constructed in 1991 at a cost of N240 million, was recently renamed the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, prompting a storm of criticism.
Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, decried the project as a misuse of public funds.
Speaking during a donation to a secondary school in Chibok, Borno State, Obi said the money should have been directed towards education and technology to benefit the nation’s youth.
While citizens grapple with soaring inflation, the Tinubu administration appears more committed to immortalising a name than solving these pressing challenges.
“N39 billion would have procured thousands of computers for students. Instead, it was spent on a building already in good shape,” he said.
Obi, who also donated ten laptops and two laser printers to the Federal Government Girls’ Secondary School in Chibok, condemned the government’s misplaced priorities while highlighting the fact that teachers in the FCT had been on strike for three months over unpaid salaries.
The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) joined the criticism, calling the ICC renaming “brazen” and the renovation “a shameful betrayal of public trust.”
CUPP National Secretary, Chief Peter Ameh, said the action reflected “a disturbing focus on self-glorification over nation-building,” noting that even General Ibrahim Babangida, who built the ICC, never sought to immortalise himself through the structure.
According to CUPP, the funds used for the ICC facelift could have addressed more urgent crises including a paralysed education system, failing healthcare, and underfunded primary services in the FCT.
“This administration appears more committed to plastering names on public buildings than tackling real national emergencies,” the group said.
CUPP called for an immediate investigation into the renovation project and urged the Tinubu administration to shift its focus toward tangible solutions that directly impact citizens, rather than symbolic gestures that serve political ego.
Also read: Wike closes ICC for 8 months
As tensions mount over rising inflation, crumbling infrastructure in rural communities, and growing frustration among Nigerians, the ICC controversy is fast becoming a symbol of broader concerns over governance, spending priorities, and the legacy Tinubu aims to leave behind.
