Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has rejected claims that he is the only member of the G5 governors who supported President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2023 election and has benefited from the administration. Wike made the clarification on Monday during an interview on TVC News’……
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has rejected claims that he is the only member of the G5 governors who supported President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2023 election and has benefited from the administration.
Wike made the clarification on Monday during an interview on TVC News’ Journalists’ Hangout.
The G5 was a group of five Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors who opposed the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, ahead of the 2023 election and backed President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Responding to claims that he is the only former G5 governor enjoying the benefits of his support for Tinubu, Wike said the description was inaccurate.
“I don’t understand what you say by enjoying Mr. President,” he said.
Wike explained that when Tinubu nominated him for a ministerial position, he sought the approval of his political structures before accepting the appointment.
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“When I was nominated by Mr. President to be considered as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I did write to the party. First of all, I wrote to my governor. I wrote to the party of the state. I wrote to the zonal party and I wrote to national party,” he said.
According to him, the various party structures unanimously supported his decision to join the Federal Government.
“All of them in unanimous decision say look, you have to be part of the government because we believe that our contribution will make a change,” Wike said.
The FCT Minister also pointed to appointments and government support received by other members of the G5 as evidence that the benefits of their political alignment with Tinubu were not limited to him.
He disclosed that former Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, is now Nigeria’s ambassador to Spain, while former Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, is Nigeria’s ambassador to Greece.
“Today as I speak to you, my dear brother governor is the ambassador representing Nigeria in Spain,” Wike said, adding that he attended the presentation of letters of credence on September 14.
“My dear brother governor is the ambassador representing Nigeria in Greece,” he added.
Wike also cited the Federal Government’s support for the former governor of Rivers State, saying Tinubu provided N50 billion to support the upgrade and expansion of the state’s airport.
He said the former governor had chosen to continue working with Tinubu despite not retaining a political position, adding that the support extended beyond membership of the APC.
Wike said it would therefore be inaccurate to suggest that he was the only G5 governor who benefited from supporting Tinubu.
“It will be wrong anybody to say I’m the only one enjoy. If enjoyment in quote would be because he have a position. So that’s not correct,” he said.
The former Rivers State governor stressed that the G5’s support for Tinubu was not primarily motivated by expectations of political appointments or other benefits.
“When the president has done everything to make sure that everybody who fought as part the side of the G5 has also benefited, but that is not the issue,” Wike said.
He said the group’s decision to support Tinubu was based on its position that power should return to the South after eight years of northern presidency.
“Our support for president is not that want to benefit. Our support for president that look there’s injustice,” Wike said.
He added that the group believed Tinubu had the capacity to address the country’s challenges.
“Those who presented themselves that would think that the president has what it takes to bring back this country what is supposed to be and so that is all it takes. So it’s not about benefiting or you have benefited. That’s not the position,” Wike said.
