The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, on Monday said that the crises emanating from the just-concluded parties’ primaries have exposed politicians in the opposition coalition as political hypocrites.
The Minister stated that the opposition leaders who have been going about criticising every action of President Bola Tinubu and claiming to be the ‘ Messiah’ that Nigerians need, have finally shown that they can’t be trusted.
Wike, who said this during his monthly media parley in Abuja, argued that the controversies that trailed their congresses and primary elections exposed the contradictions between their public rhetoric and internal practices.
According to him, parties that had presented themselves as champions of democratic reforms were now grappling with the same challenges they often accuse larger parties of perpetuating.
“They told Nigerians they were the new face of democracy and the alternative platform for change. But what we have seen is that even within their own structures, there are allegations of irregularities and protests over congresses and primaries,” he said.
Wike argued that the developments should encourage Nigerians to critically assess political actors based on their conduct rather than campaign rhetoric.
He maintained that managing political parties in Nigeria requires a practical understanding of the country’s political environment, adding that older parties have acquired experience in handling internal disagreements and organisational challenges.
“My assessment is that the parties that have been tested over time understand the complexities of Nigeria’s political culture and democratic process,” he said.
The Minister, who is also known as the national leader of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) further dismissed suggestions that some of the country’s major political parties had become irrelevant, insisting that political relevance is ultimately determined by performance, internal cohesion and public support.
Wike’s comments came amidst ongoing political realignments and heightened activities across party lines ahead of future electoral contests, with several opposition parties seeking to strengthen their structures and broaden their appeal to voters.
He urged political leaders to focus on strengthening democratic institutions and promoting internal party democracy rather than relying on rhetoric aimed at discrediting opponents.
