The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, of being afraid of the growing influence of the new opposition coalition movement.
In a strongly worded statement released on Thursday, the ADC reacted to comments made by Wike during a media chat, where he criticised leaders of the opposition coalition.
The party, through the spokesman of the coalition movement, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said Wike’s outburst shows fear and desperation over the rising popularity of the coalition among Nigerians.
“We find Minister Wike’s attacks incompatible with the office he holds. His fear clearly stems from the successful unveiling of the opposition coalition, which threatens the government he serves,” the ADC said.
The party also criticised Wike’s handling of workers’ welfare in the FCT, accusing him of ignoring primary school teachers who have been on strike for months while spending billions on what it called “white elephant projects.”
“If Minister Wike had paid teachers and treated FCT workers with respect, he wouldn’t be this jittery,” the statement read.
Responding to Wike’s claim that coalition leaders are driven by grievances, the ADC admitted to being aggrieved — but with just cause.
“We are aggrieved because millions of Nigerians have been pushed into poverty. We are aggrieved because children can’t go to school due to unpaid teachers. We are aggrieved over rising insecurity in the FCT.”
The party also accused Wike of helping to weaken the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which he once served as governor under.
“The coalition belongs to the Nigerian people who were promised renewed hope but got renewed hopelessness. No amount of insults from Wike can stop this movement,” Abdullahi added.
The opposition coalition, recently unveiled, includes several political parties and leaders seeking to challenge the current administration ahead of future elections.
