The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has declared himself the second most vilified political figure in Nigeria, ranking only behind President Bola Tinubu.
Wike made the claim on Saturday during a special thanksgiving service in his hometown of Ochiba, Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State. The event was organised by former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chibudom Nwuche.
The former Rivers State Governor argued that the torrent of abuse directed at him stems from his unwavering commitment to political agreements and his steadfast loyalty to President Tinubu.
“I have never hidden my position. Nigerians know. And you can attest to it. We have never wavered in our support of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. If you want to know, after Bola Tinubu, the next most abused politician is me”, Wike stated.
He linked the criticism to his principle of honouring political pacts. “Why are they abusing me? Because they know what agreement is. When we have agreed on something, let’s implement it. If you cannot implement it, don’t even enter into it.”
Wike used the occasion to draw a sharp contrast between his long-standing support for Tinubu and what he implied was the recent, opportunistic defection of others—a veiled reference to the move by Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“All these people you are now seeing singing ‘on your mandate we stand’… that time, when they were needed most, they couldn’t sing that,” Wike said, recalling the tough political climate of the 2023 elections. “We stood firm… and today, he is the President.”
He announced that formal political activities in Rivers State would commence in January 2026, signalling the start of the next election cycle, and urged his supporters to remain strong.
In a mocking tone, Wike also suggested that attacking him had become a lucrative venture for some politicians. “One thing you should know about Nigerian politics… How you can make money now for a universal state is like this: you go and say, ‘this is enough for Wike, who deal with Wike,’ they drop [dish out money]. If you don’t say you will deal with Wike, you won’t get anything.”
Earlier, the host, Chibudom Nwuche, praised Wike for his developmental impact on the Ekpeye Kingdom, notably elevating several traditional stools to first-class status during his tenure as governor.
“Nobody who follows Wike can say that he hasn’t been impacted positively. That’s why you see, no matter where he goes, we shall go there,” Nwuche said.
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