Coalition leaders out to rescue their stomachs, not Nigerians — Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has criticised leaders of the newly formed opposition coalition, accusing them of pursuing selfish interests rather than genuinely working to rescue Nigerians.

Wike made these remarks on Sunday at a thanksgiving service organised to mark the completion of some projects executed by the FCT Administration. He took a swipe at prominent figures within the coalition, many of whom are former public officeholders, faulting what he described as their constant defection from one political party to another, which according to him, clearly shows a lack of commitment to any political ideology.

“How can Nigerians not be angry with you? In 1999, you were in this party, in 2006 you moved to another, in 2014 to yet another one, and by 2019 you came back again. Now in 2025, you’re off to another party. To rescue who? It’s your stomach you want to rescue, not Nigerians,” Wike stated.

The minister further questioned the democratic credentials of Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, accusing him of undemocratic tendencies during his tenure as governor of Anambra State. “For eight years as governor, he never conducted local government elections. And you call that democracy? You were the governor and chairman of all local governments,” Wike said.

He also challenged other opposition leaders’ sincerity, citing their lack of tangible achievements while in office. “I was Senate President for eight years, and I couldn’t construct a road to my local government. Now you say you want to rescue Nigeria? Which Nigeria?” he asked.

The minister did not spare former ministers and lawmakers, blaming them for Nigeria’s current woes. “Somebody was Speaker for eight years, governor for another eight, minister for eight. It’s now, two years after leaving office, you remember Nigerians are angry. Why won’t they be angry when you borrowed billions from China as Minister of Transportation and left the country heavily indebted?”

He also condemned the inefficiency in public service delivery during their time in office, especially over challenges like obtaining international passports and Nigeria’s poor international image due to corruption.

Wike then urged Christians to pray for President Bola Tinubu’s administration and disregard what he called the recycled ambitions of failed politicians. “Forget those who had their chance to put Nigeria right but squandered it. They won’t have that chance again,” he concluded.

It would be recalled that the opposition coalition recently adopted the African Democratic Congress as its platform for the 2027 elections, with key figures like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Nasir El-Rufai, Rauf Aregbesola, and David Mark among its ranks.