Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has described opposition figures, including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, as “liars,” accusing them of misleading Nigerians with promises of political reform.
Wike made the remarks during his monthly media briefing in Abuja on Monday, where he criticised opposition parties over what he described as internal contradictions and a lack of credibility in their democratic processes.
The former Rivers State governor specifically took aim at the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), alleging that the parties project themselves as alternatives to the ruling establishment while grappling with internal disputes.
According to him, parties that once presented themselves as agents of change have failed to conduct credible primaries without controversy, raising questions about their ability to provide better leadership.
“They said they are the savior that will come. What has happened now?
“NDC said we are the new face of democracy. ADC said this kind of party is a party that hasn’t been polluted one day, is a party that God just brought from the womb.
“What has happened? So dirty. See what has happened in the NDC. As small as they are, they cannot do a primary without protest.
“Look at ADC who said it’s a coalition to take over from APC to stop the distortion of democracy. What has happened?” Wike said.
The minister further argued that recent disputes surrounding opposition primaries mirror the same issues opposition parties often accuse the ruling party of perpetrating.
“While the congress was going on, two presidential aspirants said ‘we cannot believe that you will perpetrate on this. We have been accusing this party of doing this. Now see what we are doing, see what we have done’.
“So that now tells you, who is deceiving who? Who is coming to Nigeria to tell them lie ‘that we are the new born baby, the messiahs of the time of Nigeria. This is what we want to do’.”
Wike maintained that Nigerians have become aware of what he described as the insincerity of opposition politicians.
“Nigerians have now known you’re all liars. They can’t be using us. They can’t be deceiving us.
“PDP is dead party, according to you. You’ve said here APC is rotten. They cannot help Nigerian democracy. Just ordinary congress. You have three presidential aspirants, two said ‘this is rubbish, this is criminality to the highest order. Why are we complaining against another party’.”
The FCT minister concluded by stating that, based on recent developments, he would rather trust established political parties that have operated within Nigeria’s political environment for years.
“My assessment is that I prefer, from what I’ve seen, the old parties that are running are those that have even tested this environment and have known what Nigerian culture is all about,” Wike said.
