Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed the newly formed opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a “desperate alliance of rejected politicians” lacking the structure and unity to pose any serious challenge to President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Speaking during a media chat with journalists on Thursday, Wike ridiculed the coalition—comprising political heavyweights from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), and other parties—as an unserious effort driven by personal ambition and internal party frustrations.
“There is no coalition,” Wike declared. “The opposition has decimated itself. The only party that can, if well-organized, challenge this government is the PDP.”
Wike accused former Senate President David Mark, now interim national chairman of the ADC-led coalition, of attempting to hijack the PDP leadership before defecting. “David Mark wanted to be chairman of the PDP, and we said no. When they wanted the chairmanship to return to the North Central, we resisted it. Now he’s chairman of a so-called coalition—let’s see who will listen to him,” he said.
The minister also took aim at Ovation publisher Dele Momodu, labeling him politically irrelevant. “Dele Momodu said he ran for president—he didn’t get one vote. That’s who’s in the coalition,” Wike mocked.
He criticized the coalition’s key figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, for repeatedly switching parties in pursuit of power. “Atiku left PDP for AC, returned to PDP, joined APC, came back to PDP—and now he’s in ADC,” Wike said. “These are people who just want to control something. No principles.”
Wike also questioned the sincerity of those citing rising public dissatisfaction to justify their political realignment. “They keep saying Nigerians are angry. Just say you lost your position and move on. Don’t blame Nigerians.”
Boasting about his own public service record, Wike challenged his critics to match his achievements. “If I leave office today, I can point to what I accomplished as Minister. Let them do the same,” he said.
He further questioned the motives behind former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s involvement in the coalition. “If the president hadn’t dumped El-Rufai, would he be part of this coalition? Let’s be honest.”
With the 2027 elections on the horizon, Wike reaffirmed that the PDP remains the only opposition party with the national presence and organizational capacity to challenge the ruling APC—if internal unity is maintained.
“Politics is about interest,” he said. “There’s nothing they didn’t do to seize PDP’s leadership, but we stood firm. That’s why they left. Let’s see how far they’ll go with their new party.”
