FCT Stakeholders Pass Vote of Confidence in Wike, Demand Action on Abuja Flooding
- FCT Stakeholders Forum for Development held a press conference in Abuja on August 19, 2026, to address the recent flooding crisis in the capital
- The group said flooding in Abuja predates Minister Wike's tenure and blamed blocked drainages, urban expansion, and an outdated 1979 Master Plan
- FSTF called on Wike to urgently desilt drainages, enforce anti-encroachment rules, and review the FCT Master Plan to prevent future flooding
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A coalition of FCT landlords, business owners, and investors passed a vote of confidence in Abuja's minister while calling for urgent action to tackle recurring flooding across the federal capital.
Chief David Sabo Kente, chairman of the FCT Stakeholders Forum for Development (FSTF), delivered the group's position in a statement sighted by Legit.ng on Wednesday, August 19, in Abuja, addressing both the flooding crisis and the broader state of governance in the territory under Minister Nyesom Wike.
Source: Original
What FSTF found about the flooding
After conducting what the forum described as an independent fact-finding assessment across flood-affected communities, FSTF said the crisis cannot be blamed solely on the current administration. The group noted that Abuja recorded flooding long before Wike took office, and that rapid urban expansion, the removal of drainage covers by scavengers, and indiscriminate refuse dumping have all contributed to blocked waterways across the city.
The group also pointed to the 1979 Abuja Master Plan as a major structural problem, arguing that a document designed decades ago no longer fits the realities of a capital city now home to over 3.5 million people.
"The 1979 Master Plan is outdated," Kente said, adding that it requires urgent review and modernisation to address both population growth and infrastructure demands.
Despite the flooding, FSTF praised Wike's record on infrastructure, citing construction of flyovers, expanded roads, rehabilitation of public schools, modern bus terminals, expanded rural healthcare facilities, and the supply of patrol vehicles to security agencies. The forum described the minister as "Mr Project," saying his administration has treated infrastructure as "the supreme engine of economic survival."
Two urgent demands for Wike
Even as it endorsed his leadership, the forum placed two specific demands on the minister. First, FSTF urged immediate desilting of drainage channels, strict enforcement against encroachment on waterways and green corridors, and a comprehensive overhaul of the FCT Master Plan. Second, the group asked that all development projects follow due process so that residents are not displaced or harmed in the course of pursuing the city's growth.
Kente said the forum believes the flooding crisis is solvable with political will, proper planning, and active cooperation between the FCT Administration and stakeholders across the territory.
Floods Submerge Cars, Leave Residents Stranded in Abuja
Legit.ng previously reported that residents and motorists in Abuja were stranded on Saturday, August 15, after intense rainfall triggered flash floods across several parts of the Federal Capital Territory.
Areas badly hit included Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent in Wuse 2, the vicinity of Delight Event Centre in Gudu, and Efab Estate in Lokogoma.
Source: Legit.ng
