Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, has stated that his responsibility in the current political contest is to put pressure on opposition leaders and make them uncomfortable.
Wike made the statement to journalists on Friday while inspecting ongoing infrastructure projects in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
The minister, speaking about the state of the opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections, stated that the Peoples Democratic Party’s internal crisis had made it difficult to identify a formidable leading opposition party.
He said, “I’ve told you there is no position. 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, 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 feel well all day. Because they will be having high blood pressure. Yes, that’s my job.
“To make them have high blood pressure. I am not here to make them 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.”
Wike, a former Rivers State governor and PDP member, has continued to clash with many opposition personalities in the wake of the party’s political turmoil.
The minister also downplayed concerns about former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s and the Labor Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi’s reactions to political happenings, saying he was unconcerned about them.
He added, “So how Atiku feels, how Obi feels—it does not give any headache. If I know how they feel now, I will add more crises for them.”
