Why APC Govs Are Against Wike – Onoh

Former South-East spokesman for President Bola Tinubu’s 2023 campaign, Denge Josef Onoh, has given his explanation for the growing disagreement between FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and some governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Onoh, in a statement made available to journalists in Lagos, was reacting to recent comments by Wike in which the minister criticised some APC governors.

He linked the dispute to Wike’s long political career and his approach to political contests, alliances and the use of political structures.

Onoh recalled that Wike began his rise in Rivers State politics as chairman of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area between 1999 and 2007. He later served as Chief of Staff to then Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, where he became involved in the management of the state’s political affairs.

Wike subsequently served as Minister of State for Education under former President Goodluck Jonathan. Onoh said his activities during that period were connected to the political disagreements between the Jonathan administration and Amaechi.

The former campaign spokesman also referred to Wike’s involvement in the political contest ahead of the 2015 elections in Rivers State and his later rise within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Onoh said Wike’s performance at the PDP presidential primary in 2022 showed the difficulty of translating his strong political influence in Rivers State into support across the country. Wike contested the primary but lost to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.

He also discussed Wike’s role in the G-5 Governors, a group of PDP governors that opposed Atiku’s presidential campaign during the 2023 election.

According to Onoh, the disagreement within the PDP eventually contributed to divisions in the opposition and created political advantages for the Tinubu campaign.

Onoh said he had supported the idea of bringing Wike into Tinubu’s campaign at the time, arguing that subsequent political developments supported the position he had taken.

He also rejected Wike’s assessment of the voting pattern in the South-East during the 2023 presidential election. Onoh said Peter Obi’s popularity in the region had a major influence on the outcome and that the circumstances in the South-East could not be compared directly with those in other parts of the country.

The former campaign spokesman further criticised some aspects of Wike’s administration of the Federal Capital Territory, particularly controversies surrounding demolitions and disputes involving properties belonging to prominent individuals.

Onoh said Abuja required a different approach because of its status as the nation’s capital and its concentration of diplomatic missions, international organisations and foreign media.

He argued that political and administrative actions in the FCT could attract wider attention, particularly during an election period, because developments in the capital are closely watched both within and outside Nigeria.

On Wike’s relationship with the APC, Onoh said the minister’s political activities had contributed to tensions with some governors of the ruling party.

He claimed that Wike’s continued connections with political structures associated with the PDP, alongside his position in the APC-led Federal Government, had created an unusual political situation.

Onoh also raised concerns about the political group referred to as the Rainbow Coalition. He suggested that the activities of the group could have implications for future political ambitions and the interests of the APC at the state level.

He urged President Tinubu to consider the effect of competing political interests within the ruling party, particularly where political arrangements involving Wike appear to conflict with the interests of APC governors and party structures.

Onoh said maintaining cohesion within the APC would require attention to disagreements between elected governors, party officials and other influential political actors.

He maintained that the current dispute between Wike and some APC governors should be viewed in the context of Wike’s political history, his previous alliances and his relationships with different political groups over the years.