The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has criticised politicians who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, insisting they lack the moral authority to assume leadership roles within structures they did not help build.
Wike spoke on Saturday during a “Thank You” visit to Phalga Local Government Area, where he also urged residents to sustain their support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.
He faulted the influx of former political opponents into the APC, arguing that their late entry does not entitle them to dictate the party’s direction.
Using a culinary metaphor, Wike said those who were absent at the formative stage of the political struggle cannot suddenly seek control now that the groundwork has been laid.
“You were not there from the beginning. You didn’t buy the pepper, salt or oil. Now that the food is ready, you want to take charge. Is that how it works?” he asked.
The former Rivers State governor emphasised that his support for Tinubu was deliberate and rooted in conviction, noting that he and his allies backed the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda from the outset of the 2023 election cycle.
“We led the struggle here in 2023. From the very beginning, we aligned with the Renewed Hope family and stood firmly by President Tinubu,” Wike said.
Drawing from his political experience, Wike recalled a legal dispute from 1999, which he said underscored the importance of participation from the start in any political process.
He further dismissed suggestions that recent defections could weaken his political influence in Rivers State, maintaining that his camp remains firmly in control.
“Nobody can push us out of this state. We have stayed the course since 2023, despite intimidation and threats,” he declared.
The remarks come amid heightened political tensions in Rivers State following Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC and the commencement of impeachment proceedings against him by the State House of Assembly over delays in presenting the 2026 budget.
Wike has openly opposed Fubara’s re-election bid and accused the governor of breaching a peace agreement reached prior to the lifting of emergency rule in the state.
