The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has urged the coalition opposing President Bola Tinubu’s administration to cease exploiting Nigerians, claiming that only the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party can face Tinubu in 2027.
The minister announced this during his monthly media briefing in Abuja on Thursday.
Wike criticised the notion that Nigerians were furious, adding that the coalition members were previously in power and did nothing to address or ease Nigerians’ plight.
“I heard David Mark say, ‘To rescue Nigeria; Nigerians are angry. David Mark was Senate President for how many terms? Two terms, is it not? Nigerians were happy.
“Nigerians were happy when he was Senate President for eight years. And there was no single project to Otukpo; not one. He was flying with a helicopter to go to Otukpo. Nigerians were not angry then; Nigerians are only angry now.
“When Rotimi Amaechi was minister for eight years, Nigerians were not angry. When Nigeria became indebted to Chinese loans, Nigerians were happy. It’s now Nigerians are angry. I saw Seriake (Dickson). They are saying Nigerians are angry. They want to rescue Nigeria. So I’m asking this simple question. What happened to Air Nigeria? Nigerians were happy then.
“When they went to APC in 2015 and took over the reins of power in 2023, Nigerians were happy. Was it under Tinubu’s government that banditry came? Tambuwal, you were Speaker for four years. What did you do to make Nigerians not be angry? You were a governor in Sokoto State,” Wike said.
Wike went on to say that he would accept the position that Nigerians were furious if it came from those who had never had power before and that Tinubu was striving to rectify the country’s predicament.
“When you want to go to power, tell us. If there are people who have not been in power in this country who are coming up with such an idea, I can listen to them. But not people who were the ones at the helms of affairs of this country for how many years? Look at where this country is. If this president did not take certain decisions he has taken, which may be very challenging, you would have known where we would have been by now.
“A president came and said it’s a scam; took that bold step; we will not allow that. States are getting more money. Nigerians are angry that states are getting more money. Nigerians are angry that we are providing infrastructure in Abuja. I cannot say that there are no challenges. There are challenges. But for Christ’s sake, stop using Nigerians,” he stated.
The former Rivers State governor also noted that only the PDP could challenge President Tinubu in 2027 if they got their acts together, stating, however, that the opposition has succeeded in decimating themselves.
“The opposition have even decimated themselves. Let me tell you why I said so; now you are talking about a coalition. What is the coalition? The only party today that, if they put themselves well, can still challenge this government, assuming, is the PDP,” Wike said.
Wike, however, stated that Nigerians recycled the same persons in positions of power because they chose to vote along ethnic and religious lines rather than based on the individual’s antecedents.
“It’s your business, you the voters. Let me tell you something. I’m the FCT Minister today, is it not true? Right? If I’m supporting a party to win the election, I should be able to stand and say, This is why you should support me.
“Tell me whether this is correct or not. You are the one to say yes. I’ve seen what you said. I’m going to vote for that. But you, the voter, you don’t do that. You vote on ethnicity. You vote on religion,” Wike said.
