The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has said that he has no obligation to disclose his private life to anyone, insisting that his recent visit to the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress ( APC), Prof. Nantawe Yilwatda, which sparked viral speculations online, was a personal and professional gesture.
The Minister noted that despite his party affiliation, he can visit people with different political ideologies, because he does not practice “politics of enmity.”
Wike, who made this disclosure on Wednesday after inspecting some projects, noted that his visit to the APC’s Chairman was to reciprocate a kind gesture, rather than a formal political meeting.
“Did I go there for any meeting? I mean, why would I tell you about my private life? If I come to visit you to have a drink with you, I will tell the whole world that I’m going there to have a drink with you.
“Who has ever told me when they go for their own drink? Come on, let us know that we have our freedom to associate with whom we want to sit with.”
The Minister also queried why people should be inquisitive about his private life and movement, when there is no law that restrains his freedom of association and professional alignment.
He said, “That is their business. Whatever they think is their business, it’s their headache. When the former chairman of the Labour Party visited me in my house, what were they thinking? I don’t play politics of enmity.
“I don’t do that. And so, if the National Party chairman of APC, who was trying to see me several times and couldn’t see severally, I said, ” Okay, let me go and see him in his house, it’s their business”.
According to him, the public has the right to their perception about what he is doing, but is never bothered about what anyone is thinking or saying about his actions, so long as his conscience is right.
“Whatever anybody wants to think. I don’t care about what people say. What’s important to me is what I’m doing for my people, the job that is assigned to me to do. It is not about what somebody on the road is thinking or their perception.
“That’s not my business. My business is, are you doing what is right? Are you carrying out your duties dutifully? And once I’m satisfied and my appointor is satisfied, I don’t give a damn.
“So if I see any APC person on the road, I shouldn’t talk to that person. Or if any PDP person is seen by an APC person, the APC should not relate to the person simply because we are playing politics.
“Don’t forget that he was a minister. We were all colleagues before he left for the chairmanship of APC. So what I should do, if I see him, I will hide. And if he sees me, he should run away.
“So that people will not say something. People should continue to say whatever they want to say.
“What is important is what I am doing, whether I have achieved results or whether I haven’t achieved results. I am a minister, so many people come to my office for one thing or another. So many people.
“And if he has come so many times and he couldn’t get me, I say okay, don’t bother. I will come and see you. Let me hear what you want to say. What’s wrong with that?”
