President Bola Ahmed Tinubu playfully cautioned Minister Nyesom Wike of the Federal Capital Territory about the risk of allowing the opposition Peoples Democratic Party to take control of Abuja, implying it could jeopardize his position.
Tinubu made this lighthearted statement during a meeting with an Eid-El-Fitr delegation from the FCT, headed by Wike, at the Presidential Banquet Hall in Abuja.
Reflecting on a past conversation with Wike, the President said, “I remember the day Nyesom Wike came to me and said, ‘Please, take us out of this problem of TSA so that I can do more work and achieve more.’ Then I said, ‘Okay, tell me what you’re about to do.’ And he presented it. And I threw in my own political guide. ‘Would that give me any opportunity for my party to win the election in FCT?’”
In a lighthearted manner, Tinubu then cautioned Wike about the potential political consequences of PDP gaining ground in the capital city.
“I said, ‘I know where you are coming from, your own party or my party. If this thing goes too much in your own favour, you will lose your job.’ Then he said, ‘Okay, we will settle that, Oga.’”
Wike, a prominent PDP member and former governor of Rivers State, holds a significant role in Nigerian politics despite being part of an APC-led government.
His tenure as FCT minister has sparked political discussions, especially in light of his ongoing rivalry with his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The political tensions in Rivers reached a pinnacle when Tinubu imposed a state of emergency in the state, resulting in Fubara’s suspension on March 18.
The turmoil, originating from Wike’s extensive influence in the state, has intensified speculation about his political standing.
