APC is not trying to ‘kill’ opposition parties – Wike defends ruling party

Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has dismissed claims that opposition parties are being targeted under the current administration, insisting that such accusations are unfounded.

Speaking in Abuja during an interview with journalists, Wike said the challenges facing opposition groups today are not comparable to what he personally experienced during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The comments come amid criticism directed at the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Tinubu, with some alleging efforts to weaken opposition parties and create a one-party system. Wike rejected those claims, stating that he had endured more severe political pressure in the past without backing down.

“It’s not correct that the current ruling party is killing the opposition, and I take exceptions to that,” he said. “If there was anybody tormented by a government, it was me… I was personally haunted under Buhari.” He cited his involvement in internal disputes within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), including legal battles that reached the Supreme Court, as evidence of the political pressures he faced.

Wike also addressed the recent controversy surrounding leadership disputes within the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which has drawn in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following court rulings and ongoing litigation.

He maintained that accusations of harassment by the current government are misleading, arguing that political competition often involves strategic manoeuvring by both ruling and opposition parties. “Under Buhari, this is what they did to kill PDP. All these people shouting… it is only when it does not favor you,” he said.

According to Wike, political parties regularly seek advantages within the legal and institutional framework, adding that such dynamics are part of the nature of politics. “If you are an opposition party, you know the government or the ruling party will always look for a loophole. That is politics,” he added.