Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has launched a scathing attack on opposition parties, particularly the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), over the controversies that trailed their recent primary elections, declaring that Nigerians now see through their claims of being a credible alternative to the country’s established political parties.
Speaking during his monthly media briefing in Abuja on Monday, June 1, 2026, Wike argued that the internal crises that erupted within the ADC and NDC during their primary exercises have exposed the hypocrisy of politicians who have built their public image around accusing the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of imposing candidates and undermining democracy.
“You hear people talk about a particular party not doing something and promise that they are going to change the pattern. You have accused the APC of imposition, the PDP of imposition,” Wike said. “Now you have formed a new party, a new baby, a righteous baby. The messiah, the saviour that would come, what has happened now?”
The minister specifically referenced the ADC, which had positioned itself as a coalition to rescue Nigeria’s democracy from alleged distortions by the APC. “ADC said they are the new face of democracy; they said it’s the kind of party that has not been polluted. What has happened is so dirty,” he said.
He also lampooned the NDC, which had presented itself as a new, untainted political platform. “As small as they are, they cannot conduct a primary without protest. See what has happened in the NDC,” Wike said, adding that the controversies undermined the parties’ claims of promoting internal democracy.
The ADC presidential primary was particularly turbulent. Two of the three aspirants – former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi and economist Mohammed Hayatu‑Deen – rejected the exercise, alleging widespread irregularities and voter disenfranchisement. Amaechi described the process as “concocted” and claimed that many party members were prevented from voting. Wike seized on this, noting that aspirants themselves had condemned the process while the congress was still ongoing. “While the congress was going on, two presidential aspirants came to say we cannot believe this, saying it’s criminality of the highest order, which tells you who is deceiving whom,” he said.
The NDC, according to Wike, fared no better. Reports from the party’s primary elections indicated allegations of rigging, disenfranchisement, and diversion of election materials in Abia State, while an aspirant in the FCT also accused the party of manipulating its senatorial primary to produce a predetermined outcome. Wike argued that such internal conflicts, occurring in parties that are still relatively small, raise serious questions about their ability to govern a country as complex as Nigeria.
Wike did not limit his criticism to the parties alone; he also directed his remarks at the principal opposition figures leading them. He described former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, and former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as “known liars,” accusing them of misleading Nigerians with claims of political reform. He said these individuals had repeatedly described the PDP as a “dead party” and the APC as “rotten,” yet within their own ranks they could not conduct a credible primary involving just three aspirants.
“According to them, the PDP is dead. They have also said the APC is rotten and cannot help Nigerian democracy. Yet, in an ordinary congress involving just three presidential aspirants, two of them openly described the process as rubbish and criminality of the highest order,” Wike said.
The FCT minister expressed a clear preference for established political parties, arguing that despite their challenges, they have acquired the experience necessary to manage Nigeria’s complex political environment. “My assessment is that I prefer the old parties that are already there. They have tested it and know what the Nigerian culture is all about,” he said.
Wike’s remarks came amid renewed political maneuvering and coalition talks among opposition leaders ahead of the 2027 general election. His criticism has added to the growing debate over whether newer opposition platforms, such as the ADC and NDC, can truly offer a credible alternative to the APC and PDP, or whether they are merely repeating the same internal contradictions they claim to reject.
The ADC has since attempted to contain the fallout, with Atiku holding separate reconciliation meetings with Amaechi and Hayatu‑Deen to calm tensions and rally support behind his candidacy. However, Wike’s blunt assessment has already reinforced the narrative that the opposition’s internal crises have undermined its claim to moral superiority.
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