On Monday, leaders of the All Progressives Congress in the Federal Capital Territory objected to the appointments made recently by Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, claiming that Wike is fixated on courting his PDP supporters at the expense of his constituents.
At a press conference held at the Nigerian Union of Journalists’ secretariat in Abuja, the leaders of the APC party expressed their dissatisfaction and urged President Bola Tinubu to warn the former governor of Rivers State before he damaged his political infrastructure in the country’s capital.
Since taking power, Wike’s nominations have drawn a lot of criticism.
APC members, particularly those who are indigenous to the Federal Capital Territory, have been irritated by his appointments of Barivure Fred, as Senior Aide on Environment and Waste Management, as well as Michael Chinda, Senior Special Advisor on Land, Urban, and Regional Planning, Felix Obuah, the former state chairman of the PDP, as Coordinator of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, and Chidi Amadi, the former chairman of the PDP in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers, as Chief of Staff.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Abdulwahab Ekekhide, APC chieftain in the Federal Capital Territory, criticized the minister’s choices since taking office, calling them unfair and unappreciative of the party’s supporters in the FCT who helped the president win election.
Ekekhide said, “We want to let President Bola Tinubu know that Nyesom Wike is killing the political structure of the APC in FCT due to his lack of regard for the party and its leadership.
“Since assumption of office, he has refused to sit with the leadership of the party, even though the party has written him a series of letters to grant the party audience, all to no avail. We say this is unacceptable.
“You will all recall some months back when Wike was quoted as saying ‘Nobody can take over or kill my political structure in Rivers State.’
“So, why is he now killing the President’s political structure in the FCT? The reason the APC always loses elections in the FCT is because successive ministers import strangers who do not belong to any political ward, polling unit or have voting rights as appointees.
“But when it is time for general elections, they will pack their baggage and travel to their various states leaving the FCT dry.
“We call on Mr. President to caution the minister. Let him start empowering the party or else, the APC will struggle to get two percent and the President may lose the next area councils election in 2027 if the situation remains this way.
“These recent appointments have shown that Hon. Wike wants to finally kill and bury the party. His agenda we don’t know but we will resist any further attempts to ridicule the party.”
Isaac David, the FCT Youth Leader for the APC, issued a threat, saying that party members would be compelled to stop supporting the party if he persisted in denying them their rights after they had put in so much effort to win the presidency.
“The minister’s PVC wasn’t registered in the FCT here. The same goes for the PDP loyalists and supporters he is bringing into Abuja for appointments.
“If they are ignoring us, the indigenes and the FCT APC members, we will see who will vote him back in 2027.
“We will withdraw our support from Mr President. Let us see if he plans to win the FCT in 2027,” he stated.
