A throwback video of current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, fiercely criticising the All Progressives Congress (APC) government under former President Muhammadu Buhari and throwing jabs at then-APC presidential aspirant, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has resurfaced online, sparking outrage and accusations of political hypocrisy.
In the video, which has gone viral across social media platforms, Wike—who was then the Governor of Rivers State and a prominent member of the opposition—condemned the Buhari-led administration and took direct aim at Tinubu’s campaign promise to “continue the good work” of his predecessor.
“When I hear people declaring for APC, saying that they want to continue the good job of Mr. President—the good job of people dying every day, the good job of Naira falling every day—I feel so ashamed,” Wike said in the video.
He continued: “We have got to the level where people will come and say, ‘I want to continue the good job of Buhari.’ What is the good job of Buhari? Of hunger—is that a good job? Of poverty—is that a good job? Of insecurity—is that a good job? Of the economy falling—is that a good job? It’s such a shameful thing. I can’t believe that somebody will come in today’s Nigeria and say, ‘I want to continue where Mr. Buhari has stopped.’ May God forgive. May God never allow that people to continue to lie.”
The comments, once cheered by critics of the APC government, have now resurfaced to haunt Wike, who in a surprising political twist is serving under President Bola Tinubu’s administration as FCT Minister.
Many Nigerians have taken to social media to call Wike out for what they see as a classic case of political double-dealing. Critics accuse him of abandoning his convictions for political relevance and power, while some defenders argue his decision reflects political pragmatism.
Wike, who fell out with his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the lead-up to the 2023 general elections, played a controversial role in Tinubu’s eventual electoral victory, despite not formally defecting to the APC.
