By Abiola Olawale
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike has proclaimed himself as an unsung hero of Nigeria’s democracy.
Wike, a two-term governor of Rivers State and a key figure in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), claimed that his role in ensuring the defeat of former Vice President and the 2023 Presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, ” cemented his legacy as a defender of democratic principles”.
The Minister made these remarks during an interview with Channels Television, where he dismissed narratives crediting former Sokoto Governor Aminu Tambuwal with saving the PDP from internal collapse.
Recall that Tambuwal had stepped down as a presidential aspirant at the party’s 2022 convention, redirecting his delegates to Atiku.
But Wike, who clashed with Atiku over the PDP ticket, argued that true heroism came later—in the actual ballot box.
He said: “You see those clowns calling Tambuwal ‘Hero of Convention’ after breaking party laws.
“But I became the hero of democracy by making sure Atiku lost in the real election. He didn’t get 5% in Rivers in 2023, and I can assure you he won’t get 5% again in 2027. His defeat will be resounding.”
The minister also mocked Atiku for repeatedly citing hunger as a reason for defecting from one political party to another.
“Each time Atiku wants to defect, he says Nigerians are hungry. He was vice president for eight years under PDP, then decamped to ADC, saying Nigerians are hungry.
“He returned to PDP, then to APC, then back to PDP, then ADC, all with the same excuse of ‘Nigerians are hungry.’ Imagine such a character,” Wike added.
