ADC Coalition out of desperation, not patriotism — Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Friday, launched a blistering attack on the newly adopted African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition, labelling their emergence as an act of desperation rather than genuine patriotism.

Wike made these strong assertions during the inauguration of the Aguma Palace–New Market–Radio Nigeria road in Gwagwalada against ADC coalition.

Expressing his incredulity at the timing of the coalition’s formation, Wike openly questioned their motives. “I never asked anyone, but they said the coalition started 18 months ago. Mr. President has only been in office for two years. So you started a coalition when he was barely six months in office?” he queried, in a direct challenge to the coalition’s narrative.

He pressed further, accusing the opposition of misleading Nigerians. “Eighteen months ago you started a coalition—six months into his tenure? When will you stop deceiving Nigerians? Someone had only been in office for six months, and you had already begun forming a coalition claiming he hadn’t performed?”

The FCT Minister also suggested that the opposition’s vocal criticisms stem from a deep-seated frustration with the visible progress being made in the Federal Capital Territory.

“I never knew people were so pained that so many things are going on very well in the FCT,” Wike remarked. He recounted watching a political program just the previous night, where he observed “one of the presidential aspirants from the coalition party, an industrialist, so pained—to the point that he was angry the President, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation are coming to commission projects. Yet they say Nigerians are angry.”

The coalition, which includes prominent figures like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi; former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai; and former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, among others, had been deliberating on a suitable platform to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

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