Coalition Only After Individual Gains, Not Development, Alleges Wike

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has taken a scathing swipe at leaders of the newly formed opposition coalition, accusing them of pursuing personal gain rather than genuine national interest.

Speaking at St. James Anglican Church in Asokoro during a thanksgiving service to mark the completion of FCT infrastructure projects, Wike dismissed the coalition’s stated mission to “rescue Nigeria” as self-serving and politically opportunistic.

“To rescue who? You want to rescue your stomach. It’s not Nigerians you want to rescue,” Wike declared before a packed congregation. “Some of you have sympathy for somebody you don’t know. You say Peter Obi will be president. President where?”

Wike, a former governor of Rivers State accused many opposition leaders of having poor track records despite holding multiple public offices over the years.

Without naming names directly, he criticized former governors, ministers, and lawmakers for failing to deliver development during their time in office.

“In 1999, you were at this party. In 2006, you were in another party. In 2014, you moved to another party. In 2019, you came back to another party. Now, in 2025, you have moved to another party,” he said, referring to what he described as their endless political migration in pursuit of power.

Wike also took aim at Labour Party’s Peter Obi, questioning his democratic credentials.

“For eight years, he was governor; he never conducted local government elections. That is what you describe as democracy? Only you were the governor and chairman of the local governments.”

The FCT Minister urged Nigerians to be wary of “propaganda and blackmail” from politicians now rallying under the umbrella of the opposition coalition. He further appealed for patience with President Bola Tinubu’s administration, saying meaningful change requires time and public support.

The opposition coalition, unveiled last week, adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its common platform to challenge President Tinubu’s expected re-election bid in 2027. The alliance features high profile political figures such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President David Mark, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, former Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola, and several other ex-governors and ministers.