FCT Minister Wike Vows to Keep Rivals Uneasy Ahead of 2027

Nyesom Wike, the Minister for the Federal Capital Territory, has openly declared his political objective is to maintain constant pressure on opposition figures, ensuring they experience no comfort in the current political climate. This assertion came on Friday when Wike addressed members of the press during his inspection tour of various infrastructure projects currently underway in Abuja. The minister, commenting on the state of opposition parties as the 2027 general elections approach, highlighted that internal conflicts within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have rendered it challenging to pinpoint a truly strong and leading opposition force.

Wike was quoted as saying, “I’ve told you there is no position. What do you have people who are not trying to see whether they can be relevant? Who’s the opposition leader now? Ordinarily, it would have been PDP, but because of the crisis we have had, and so you can’t see a formidable party that you call a leading opposition party. So, whatever they feel, it’s none of my business. I don’t want them to feel well. It’s not my wish that they should feel well. My business is to make them not to feel well all the days. Because they will be having high blood pressure. Yes, that’s my job. To make them to have high blood pressure. I am not here to make them to feel good, no. You see, when you are having a contest with somebody, your business is not to make him feel well. Your business is to make sure you beat him thoroughly. So that he will be sick all through. And that’s what we are doing to them.”

The former Rivers State governor, despite being a member of the PDP, has maintained a contentious relationship with numerous opposition personalities in the aftermath of the party's internal political turmoil. Furthermore, the FCT Minister disregarded any worries regarding the sentiments of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, who was the Labour Party's presidential candidate in the 2023 elections. He asserted that their responses to recent political happenings were entirely irrelevant to him. He concluded by stating, “So how Atiku feels, how Obi feels, it does not give any headache. If I know how they feel now, I will add more crisis for them.”