***Defends Tinubu, mocks Amaechi, denies parallel PDP convention
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has launched a blistering defence of President Bola Tinubu’s administration while warning that he will only support a presidential candidate in 2027 whether from the PDP or APC who places Nigeria’s interest above sentiment.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Wike dismissed former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal’s criticism of Tinubu as “bitter and insulting,” insisting the President is confronting decades of structural problems with “painful but necessary” reforms.
“Yes, Nigerians are facing hardship, but these problems did not start today,” Wike said. “Subsidy removal and economic reforms are tough, but states are now financially stable, fuel queues are gone, and the naira is gaining stability. Government is laying the foundation for sustainable growth.”
On opposition claims that Tinubu’s government is corrupt, Wike ridiculed his predecessor, Rotimi Amaechi, who recently vowed to “end corruption in one month” if given power.
“How can Amaechi make such a claim? This was a governor who shut down the Rivers judiciary for two years, wasted billions on a monorail that never worked, and spent $30 million on a phantom hospital. Even a state aircraft went missing abroad until we recovered it. Is that the man to lecture us on corruption?” Wike quipped.
Turning to the PDP crisis, the former Rivers governor denied reports of a parallel convention being planned in Ibadan. “I am a NEC member. Nobody can deny me that right. If they go ahead with an illegitimate sitting, we will challenge it. Nobody has defended PDP more than I have — even while serving in an APC-led government,” he declared.
Pressed on whether he would back the PDP candidate in 2027, Wike was blunt: “I will support whoever has Nigeria’s interest at heart. Sentiment doesn’t move me. Party loyalty is good, but I cannot back someone who will drag the country backward simply because he is our party man.” He dismissed fears of anti-party accusations, saying true anti-party was when leaders “deliberately undermine their party’s constitution,” as he alleged happened in 2003.
On security in the capital, Wike acknowledged the growing menace of “one chance” robberies and pledged tougher measures. “We’ve identified hotspots, cleared shanties criminals hide in, and are introducing regulated buses at designated terminals so people won’t board unsafe vehicles. Crime cannot be wiped out completely, but deliberate efforts are being made,” he assured.
Wike also accused FCT contractors of fraud, alleging that some directors had awarded contracts worth millions without due approval. “When you try to reform a system, the system fights back. But blackmail will not stop us,” he warned.
As 2027 politics gathers momentum, Wike’s interview underscored his readiness to remain a pivotal figure — loyal not to rigid party lines, but to his fiery creed of equity, fairness, and what he calls “Nigeria first.”