Favour Ishember, Abuja
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin, has called on leaders of the ruling party to end their public attacks on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, saying the former Rivers State governor has played a significant role in advancing President Bola Tinubu’s political interests.
Jibrin made the call on Wednesday night while appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he strongly defended Wike against criticism from some APC governors.
The Kano lawmaker said no APC member could claim not to have benefited, directly or indirectly, from Wike’s efforts in supporting President Tinubu, managing the government and delivering on his responsibilities.
“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,” he said.
Jibrin described Wike as a valuable asset to the APC, warning that the minister should not be subjected to public embarrassment through inflammatory statements.
“Wike is an asset to the APC. I don’t think Wike should be embarrassed at this moment with public statements,” he stated.
He said the FCT minister had made substantial sacrifices for both President Tinubu and the ruling party, adding that his contributions deserved recognition and fairness.
Jibrin also explained that his defence of Wike was not based on personal closeness, noting that the two politicians had only met twice by chance.
“I don’t know Wike personally. He knows me from afar and I know him from afar. I have met him just twice accidentally, so I’m not holding any brief for Wike. But 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 former Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation said Wike had made major political concessions to help the APC, despite remaining a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
According to him, Wike handed over his political structure in Rivers State to the APC and directed candidates associated with him in the FCT elections to withdraw in favour of the ruling party.
“I believe that Wike has sacrificed. He handed over Rivers to APC. Wike had candidates in the FCT election but asked them to step down for APC. Wike came into this government as a government of national unity. In reality, we should be fair to him; he has done far more than that,” he said.
Jibrin added that it was common in politics for individuals who belonged to other parties to support the APC, stressing that Wike was not the only opposition politician working with the ruling party.
“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 disclosed.
He urged APC governors who had concerns about Wike’s activities to treat him as part of the party’s broader political family and resolve their differences through dialogue.
“For the governors, they should take Wike as part of them. You call Wike the number 32 governor and Adeleke the number 33 governor of the APC. If there is a 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,” he said.
Jibrin’s comments came amid criticism of Wike by some APC governors, particularly Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma. The governors have questioned Wike’s continued membership of the PDP while mobilising support for President Tinubu’s re-election through his “Rainbow Coalition.”
The Kano-born politician, who is involved in the coalition supporting Tinubu’s second-term bid, said Wike’s backing had already produced measurable electoral gains for the APC.
He cited the party’s victory in five of the six Area Councils during the recently concluded FCT elections as evidence of the minister’s political influence and capacity to deliver results.
Jibrin maintained that politics was ultimately about numbers and electoral victories, insisting that Wike had demonstrated his ability to mobilise support for the President.
He therefore urged the APC to preserve and utilise Wike’s political value instead of alienating him, warning that hostile public statements could discourage strategic allies working for President Tinubu from outside the ruling party.
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