… Lawmaker says FCT Minister sacrificed for Tinubu, urges APC governors to dialogue with him
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and federal lawmaker, Abdulmumin Jibrin, has described Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, as an “asset” to the ruling party, urging APC leaders to avoid publicly attacking or embarrassing him.
Jibrin made the call while appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, amid growing disagreements between Wike and some APC governors over his continued membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and his support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid.
According to the lawmaker, Wike’s contribution to the political coalition supporting Tinubu should not be overlooked, stressing that the FCT Minister had made significant sacrifices for the President and the APC.
“There is no APC member in Nigeria today that has not directly or indirectly benefited from the efforts of Wike, so long as delivering the President, also managing the government, also performing his work, there is nobody,” Jibrin said.
“Wike is an asset to the APC. I don’t think Wike should be embarrassed at this moment with public statements.”
Jibrin said his defence of the FCT Minister was not based on personal friendship, explaining that he had only met Wike twice by chance.
He said his intervention was motivated by the need to protect what he described as the stability of the political arrangement supporting Tinubu’s second-term bid.
“I’m not holding any brief for Wike, but I think anything that is going to touch on the stability of the journey towards delivering the President, I like to make my intervention,” he said.
The lawmaker further argued that Wike had made considerable political sacrifices, including supporting the APC in Rivers State and the Federal Capital Territory.
“I believe that Wike has sacrificed, he handed over Rivers to APC, Wike had candidates FCT election but asked them to step down for APC. Wike came into this government as government of national unity. In reality we should be fair to him, he has done far more than that,” he said.
Jibrin also dismissed concerns about Wike’s continued membership of the PDP, saying cross-party political cooperation was not unusual.
“There are people who are in other parties, who are working with us in the NDC, in the ADC. Some of them called me yesterday, saying, ‘Look at what they are saying about Wike,’” he said.
The former Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation urged APC governors who have concerns about Wike’s political activities to engage him directly instead of making public statements.
“For the governors, they should take Wike as part of them. You call Wike the number 32 governor and Adeleke number 33 governor of the APC,” he said.
“If there is problem at the state level, the entire coalition that he is doing is for the President. If anybody at the subnational level feels it may work against him or his interest, they should discuss with Wike, but I do not think Wike should be embarrassed with statements.”
His comments come against the backdrop of criticism from some APC governors, including Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, over Wike’s political activities ahead of the 2027 elections.
Wike has maintained that his support for Tinubu does not mean he is required to support APC candidates in all states and at every level. He has also continued to identify with the PDP while promoting the “Rainbow Coalition” of political actors supporting the President.
Jibrin argued that Wike’s political influence had already produced results, citing the APC’s victory in five of the six FCT Area Councils in the 2026 elections.
He said political alliances were ultimately about building numbers and securing electoral support, urging the ruling party to focus on its broader coalition rather than alienating individuals supporting the President from outside the APC.
The lawmaker also appealed for greater dialogue among the various political interests within the President’s support base, saying disagreements should be resolved through engagement rather than public confrontation.
