Opposition parties not under attack by APC— Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed allegations that opposition parties are being targeted under the administration of President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Wike spoke on Friday during an interview with journalists in Abuja, reflecting on his past experiences with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and contrasting them with the current political environment.

“It’s not correct that the current ruling party is killing the opposition, and I take exception to that,” Wike said. “If there was anybody tormented by a government, it was me, and I never ran away. I was personally haunted under Buhari.”

He recalled his legal battles with Modu Sheriff while in the PDP, noting that the struggle involved the Federal High Court and eventually the Supreme Court. “We fought Modu Sheriff. We won at the federal high court. That victory was one of the reasons the government sent the SSS to impound Justice Leman at the federal high court. But I never ran away. I hired lawyers, and the matter went to the Supreme Court. That’s how we threw out Modu Sheriff,” Wike explained.

The former Rivers State governor also dismissed recent claims that the Tinubu administration is harassing opposition parties. “Under Buhari, this is what they did to kill PDP. All these people shouting… it is only when it does not favor you,” he said.

Wike added that both ruling and opposition parties often seek loopholes for political advantage, saying, “If you are an opposition party, you know the government or the ruling party will always look for a loophole. That is politics.”

The remarks come amid controversy over the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) decision to de-recognize the David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Nafiu Gombe faction, following a March 12 Court of Appeal judgment and ongoing litigation before the Federal High Court.