Wike An Asset To APC, Shouldn’t Be Embarrassed Publicly – Jibrin

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and federal lawmaker, Abdulmumin Jibrin, has described Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, as an asset to the ruling party, urging APC members to stop embarrassing him publicly.

Jibrin made the remarks on Wednesday night while appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he defended Wike following criticisms from some APC governors over his continued membership of the Peoples Democratic Party and his support for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.

The Kano lawmaker said members of the APC had benefited directly or indirectly from Wike’s efforts in supporting Tinubu’s emergence as president and in running the administration.

“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,” Jibrin declared.

He said Wike’s contributions to the APC-led administration and Tinubu’s political project should be recognised rather than subjected to public criticism.

“Wike is an asset to the APC. I don’t think Wike should be embarrassed at this moment with public statements,” he said.

He further stressed, “Wike is an asset to APC; he has sacrificed so much for the President and the APC.”

Jibrin said his defence of the FCT Minister was not based on a personal relationship, noting that he had only met Wike twice by chance.

“And secondly, he made a huge sacrifice. As I talk to you, before only God I worship, I don’t know Wike, but he knows me from afar, and I know him from afar, if I see him I know he is Wike, and if he sees me he will know I’m Honourable Jibrin, I have met him just twice accidentally, so I’m not holding any brief for Wike, but I think anything that is going to touch on the stability of the journey towards delivering the President, I like to make my intervention,” he explained.

The former Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation also cited Wike’s alleged political sacrifices, including his role in the political realignment in Rivers State and his support for the APC in the Federal Capital Territory.

“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 [part of the] government of national unity. In reality, we should be fair to him; he has done far more than that,” he said.

Jibrin argued that Wike’s continued membership of the PDP while supporting Tinubu should not be treated as unusual, noting that politicians in other parties were also working towards the President’s political project.

“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 stated.

He also urged APC governors who have disagreements with Wike to resolve their differences privately rather than criticising him publicly.

“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 by statements,” he stated.

Jibrin’s comments followed criticisms of Wike by some APC governors, including Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, over his continued membership of the PDP while mobilising support for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid through the “Rainbow Coalition”.

The lawmaker also pointed to the APC’s performance in the recently concluded FCT elections, where the party won five of the six Area Councils, as evidence of Wike’s political support for the ruling party.