Chieftain of the All Progessive Congress (APC), Farouk Aliyu says President Bola Tinubu will need to speak to Nyesom Wike and leaders of the ruling party to resolve tensions between the minister and APC governors.
Speaking during an interview with ARISE NEWS on Thursday Aliyu said the dispute between Wike and the APC governors should not be allowed to become a distraction for the party as it prepares for the 2027 elections.
“Mr. President will have to certainly decide. I’m sure he will speak to Wike, he will speak to also our leaders. But I call on my party members not to join issues with Wike, because let it not be a distraction to us. You know, we have a party to run, we have a country to run.”
He said Wike was free to disagree with individual governors but should avoid taking such disagreements into public confrontations. “Even if Wike has this agreement with certain governors, he’s free to have those kind of disagreements. But if you want help, Mr. President, I mean, Wike should know that it is not only rivers or Kwara or Imo in Nigeria.”
Aliyu said the APC was building its own campaign structure across the country and wanted a unified structure ahead of the 2027 elections. “As far as we are concerned, we want unified APC campaign structure, which that’s exactly what we are setting at the national level and across the states as well.”
He said the APC governors would remain in charge of the party’s structures in their respective states. “And the governors are going to be in charge of the states.”
Aliyu also criticised Wike’s description of APC governors, saying party members rejected the remarks. “I think the comments of Wiki is a bad taste, really, because the language he used to call our governors four-on-niners or lazy, that’s really a bad taste, and we, all members of APC, reject that statement.”
He said Wike should be more careful with his public comments because he is now serving in the Tinubu administration while remaining associated with the PDP. “So certainly Wiki should watch his words.”
Aliyu also accused Wike of going too far by personally naming APC governors during his public criticisms. “I mean, he doesn’t need to do that. He doesn’t need to go that far.”
He described Wike’s approach as arrogant when the minister singled out governors by name.
“I mean, he does not need to be this arrogant. Because to me, it’s arrogance calling people out their names that, look, Hope Ozodema couldn’t win elections.”
Aliyu said the APC was not rejecting Wike’s support for Tinubu, but objected to the attacks accompanying it. “And if, look, yes, if you want to say that Wiki has helped us, we accept that. We agree he has done that.”
He said Wike had already received political compensation for his support, pointing to his appointment as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. “But I think he has also been adequately compensated.”
Aliyu described the FCT ministerial position as significant compensation in Nigeria’s political system and praised Wike’s performance in the role. “And the position of FCT minister is good and huge compensation in a political setting of this country. So we are happy with his performance, absolutely.”
He said political rivalry and competition for influence were normal parts of politics, including the tensions surrounding Wike’s coalition and the APC governors. “All of the above. Influence, you know, intrigues, rivalry, yes, that is there, which is normal in politics.”
“And then look, another name of politics is intrigues, which we are used to that, you know.”
Aliyu emphasised that the APC was not opposed to people from other parties supporting Tinubu.
“So we don’t want either Wiki, Ludo or any other person from any other party to insult our leaders just because you have helped us.”
He said Wike’s political support was appreciated, but other governors who have said they would support Tinubu had not used the same approach in criticising APC leaders.
“So, yes, we’re happy he’s helping us, but we’re not happy with the insults.”
Aliyu said governors from other states had also publicly expressed support for Tinubu without making similar attacks. “None of them is talking the way he is talking.”
He said the political dispute should not be allowed to affect other parts of the country because tensions in one state could have wider consequences. “There are 36 states in this country. And this effect from either rivers can affect other states.”
He urged Wike to show humility and warned political leaders that their positions of authority would not last forever. “So I told Wike to be humble, to be humble, honestly.”
Aliyu said everyone in political authority should remember that a time of accountability would eventually come. “Not only Wike, all those in authorities, in position of authorities today, thinking because they are in authority, whether you’re a governor or you’re a minister or you’re a president, know that a day of reckoning is coming, either here or in the hereafter.”
He said political power and public office were temporary and should shape how leaders treat other people. “This life is transient. So we should be careful with what we say, how we treat people.”
Aliyu again stressed that political leaders should remember that their current positions would not last forever. “And for those of us that are alive, one day you might not be in that office.”
Erizia Rubyjeana
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