Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital yerritory (FCT), says there is nothing unusual about his meeting with Julius Abure, factional national chairman of the Labour Party (LP).
Speaking during a media parley in Abuja on Monday, Wike said
political engagement across party lines is normal and should not be
over-interpreted.
In July, Abure met with Wike at the minister’s residence in
Abuja. Following public criticism, Abure later said the meeting was wrongly
interpreted, describing it as a private and privileged engagement.
He also noted that, as a Nigerian, he had the right to meet
with public officials.
Responding to the controversy, Wike said it is not unusual
for politicians to meet and discuss matters of mutual interest.
He said there was no crime in interacting with fellow
politicians and added that politicians, like professionals in other fields,
often need to engage with one another.
“Now, they said Abure came… of course. He is a politician. I
am a politician. What is wrong?” he said
“Politicians meet themselves. Just like you, journalists,
you meet. Is there any crime?”
Wike, a former governor of Rivers state, also noted that he
had recently hosted governors from Edo, Ebonyi, and, noting that he maintained
friendships across political divides.
He said such interactions were common and often focused on
governance issues and experience sharing.
“I met with the governors of Edo, Ebonyi and Kogi states.
They are my friends. We relate. I was once in their shoes,” Wike said.
“We ask each other questions — how did you do this? How are
you handling this?”
Asked whether his meeting with Abure was related to plans
for the 2027 general election, Wike declined to give details, stating that it
was unnecessary to disclose political strategies.
On the allegations that he is fuelling the leadership crisis
in the Labour Party, Wike refuted the claims but said he has no interest in
supporting political opponents.
“I’m not here to help anybody who’s my opponent. If they’re
having problems, it’s my prayer that you should try to have a problem,” he
said.
Wike also took a swipe at Atiku Abubakar, the former vice
president, over his recent defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to
the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
