Wike Accuses Atiku, Amaechi, Obi Of Playing To Gallery

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike yesterday said the African Democratic Congress (ADC) will not fly in next year’s elections.

Taking an exception to its regression to dubious populist tactics he advised its leaders to desist from deceiving the poor and the gullible by patronising roadside corns hawkers.

Wike also chided the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for not learning from its 2023 mistakes which spelt doom for the platform during the presidential election.

Ahead of next year’s polls, he declared that he would only support candidates who support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-eñection bid.

The minister spoke on a wide range of issues during his live media chat – the first this year- held at his official residence in Abuja.

He accused ADC leaders, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi and his Anambra counterpart, Peter Obi, of playing to the gallery and deceiving poor Nigerians with campaign theatrics.

He mocked Amaechi, a former Transportation minister, for publicly buying and eating roasted corn during campaigns, describing it as political showmanship.

Wike said: “What Amaechi did was to buy corn, a corn he has never chewed as a minister on the road. A corn he didn’t chew as a governor. You like to deceive the poor.”

The minister criticized Obi for celebrating his birthday at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, questioning the sincerity of the gesture.

He said: “It’s like Peter Obi today, if he’s having a birthday party, he’ll go to an IDP camp. When he was governor, did he not have birthday parties? Mention one IDP camp he went to.”

Wike, who accused the opposition figures of using symbolic acts to win public sympathy rather than focusing on governance, said Nigerians deserve genuine leadership, and not “staged compassion.”

Wike, who reflected on the dynamics of Abuja politics and its changing political behaviour, predicted that the Labour Party (LP) senator, Ireti Kingibe, who had defected to the ADC, will not be re-elected.

Reflecting on the recent FCT council polls, where the All Progressives Congress (APC) won five councils and the PDP won one, he said ADC never prepared for the elections.

He also defended his movement on poll day, saying that it never influenced the outcome.

The Minister declined to rule out Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara from re-election, he told the media meeting that the decision on whether or not Fubara will get a re-election ticket will be taking at the right time. “When we get to the bridge, we will cross it, he said, adding the peace in rivers id “relative”

‘PDP has not learned from past mistakes’

Wike said he would only support candidates who support President Tinubu, ruling out any loyalty to a political party

He said: “As it is today, my party seems to have not learned, and I am also going to support the President for a second term in office.”

The former Rivers State governor explained that his decision was not hidden from anyone, stressing that he had made his position clear from the outset.

Wike added: “I didn’t beat around the bush when I said that as a minister, my party never asked me about the candidates they were planning to put forward, and I made it clear that I would only support candidates who backed the President”.

The minister said his position should not be interpreted as blanket support for any particular political party, but for individuals aligned with President Tinubu’s vision.

Wike stressed: “I never said I would support that particular party, but I did say I would support candidates who are in favour of the President, regardless of which party they are from.”

He dismissed suggestions that his position could amount to anti-party activities, insisting that his focus remains consistent.

Wike said; “That’s where I’m going to focus my support. So, the problem of me being part of a group that’s working for another group doesn’t come up”.

Wike: Kingibe won’t be re-elected

Wike spoke on his rift with Senator Kingibe, who had criticised him for restricting human and vehicular movement in the FCT from 8pm on Friday to 6pm on Saturday.

The senator who described the minister’s action as autocratic, said he never consulted with critical stakeholders, adding that it is “a direct affront to democratic governance and the constitutional rights of residents”.

Kingibe had said: “They are citizens of a democratic republic. Any sweeping restriction on their movement and livelihoods must be justified by compelling evidence, subjected to scrutiny, and carried out with transparency.”

However, Wike said Kingibe was not speaking for Abuja residents, insisting that she will not re-elected into the Senate in 2027.

He said the electorate will not vote for her because she has not attracted tangible projects to the FCT.

Wike, who faulted the senator for challenging him over restriction of movement, said: “I had said it more than one year ago, Senator Ireti, you won’t come back as a senator. That’s why you people don’t like people who tell you the truth. It’s bitter. Let her show one project”.

He also said the senator’s presence has not been felt ib satellite communities, which are areas with high voter participation during elections.

The minister defended his movement during the recent FCT Area Council elections, saying that as the Chief Security Officer, he has the right to monitor the security situation.

He insisted that his movement did not influence poll results, adding that no provision in the law prevented him from moving about on election day

Wike said: “I have the rights; we have 3,000 polling units. For security, I have to find out what is going on. I don’t have to be told; I am not a candidate for the election.

“Somebody has said I move about. How many polling units in FCT? FCT has not less than 3,000 polling units. Assuming I went to 10 polling units to check what was going on, how will it affect 3,000 polling units?

“As a candidate, I cannot move around. I must have my agents. As the Chief Security Officer. I have a right to have a view of what is going on and how it affects, influences the election?”

‘Why APC defeated opposition parties ‘

The minister, which blamed the opposition party for not preparing well for the election, said the success recorded by APC meant that President Tinubu-led Federal Government is performing.

On the voter turnout, Wike noted the disparity between urban and rural participation, saying that while the big men in urban centers often talk without coming out to vote, the rural areas—where the FCT Administration has focused its infrastructure projects—showed up en masse.

He rejected the allegation of disenfranchisement by the opposition, saying that mobilisation of voters is the duty of political parties and candidates, and not the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) or the government.

Wike stressed: “These people shout every time that people don’t come out. You are the one telling people that this government is not doing well. The only option you have is to mobilize people to come and vote against the government you have told the people is not doing well.

“Look at where Senator Ireti voted. Her polling unit where we thought you know the people, you can mobilize them, ADC had only two votes, APC had three votes, PDP had one vote. That is a senator’s polling unit. “You remember the candidate of ADC had said that this is not Obiakpor. Now, the reality has dawned on them.”

The minister who compared the elections to an academic examination, said to pass, students need to read their books.

He said while the opposition failed to campaign adequately, they still expected a different result.

Wike said: “You are going to school and you know the exam will come in two, three months’ time. Nobody waits for exams to come before you know that you will prepare for the exams. So, it’s a process. You must attend classes; you must read to be prepared for the exams.”

‘I will begin thank-you visit to FCT’

Wike hinted about plans for a ‘thank you visit’ to area councils in appreciation of their support.

He said; “You must have heard me say agreement is agreement; if you do for me, I do for you…every party will say we are going to give you good governance, we are going to provide infrastructure.

“I said if you vote for us, leave it for us to do our own part. Our own part is to provide infrastructure as we promised.”

Source: The Nation