Stop public attacks on Wike, prominent lawmaker Jibrin tells APC governors

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and federal lawmaker, Abdulmumin Jibrin, has urged aggrieved governors in the ruling party to refrain from publicly attacking the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

Jibrin said Wike had played a significant role in the political efforts that helped deliver President Bola Tinubu and should therefore not be subjected to public criticism by members of the APC.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday night, the former Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation defended Wike amid recent criticisms from some APC governors.

Wike’s role in APC politics

Jibrin argued that members of the APC had benefited, directly or indirectly, from Wike’s political contributions to the party and Tinubu’s administration.

“There is no APC member in Nigeria today that has not directly or indirectly benefited from the efforts of Wike,” the lawmaker said.

He described the FCT minister as an asset to the APC, adding that Wike had made significant sacrifices for President Tinubu and the ruling party.

Jibrin said the minister had, among other things, surrendered political structures and made concessions in the interest of the APC.

He cited Wike’s role in the political developments in Rivers State and the FCT, including his alleged decision to ask candidates backed by him in the FCT Area Council elections to step down in favour of APC candidates.

The lawmaker also noted that Wike joined the Federal Government under the arrangement described as a government of national unity, arguing that his contributions should be recognised.

Call for dialogue

Jibrin’s comments followed criticisms of Wike by some APC governors, including Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma.

The governors have questioned Wike’s involvement in efforts to build a national political coalition in support of Tinubu while he remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Jibrin, however, said political actors belonging to opposition parties could still work with the APC, noting that Wike was not the only politician operating across party lines.

He said his defence of Wike was not based on a personal relationship with the minister, explaining that he had only met him twice by accident.

According to him, his intervention was motivated by concerns about political stability and the broader objective of securing support for Tinubu’s second-term bid.

Jibrin also cited the APC’s performance in the recent FCT Area Council elections, where the party won five of the six councils, as evidence of the electoral value of Wike’s political support.

He urged APC governors who have disagreements with Wike to engage him directly and resolve their differences through dialogue rather than public confrontation.

“For the governors, they should take Wike as part of them,” Jibrin said, while urging party members at the subnational level to discuss any concerns they may have with the minister directly.

He maintained that the coalition efforts being pursued by Wike were ultimately aimed at supporting Tinubu and should not become a source of public confrontation among members of the ruling party.