Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has refuted claims that opposition parties are facing attacks under the current administration.
Wike spoke in Abuja on Friday during an interview with selected journalists, reflecting on his past struggles with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Tinubu have faced accusations of targeting opposition parties to create a one-party state.
The controversy follows the de-recognition of the David Mark-led ADC leadership and the Nafiu Gombe faction by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the March 12 appeal court judgment and pending litigation before federal high court.
Addressing the alleged clampdown, Wike said the current challenges facing opposition parties pale in comparison to what he faced under the late Muhammadu Buhari administration.
“It’s not correct that the current ruling party is killing the opposition, and I take exceptions to that,” Wike said.
If there was anybody tormented by a government, it was me, and I never ran away. I was personally haunted under Buhari.”
We fought Modu Sheriff. We won at the federal high court. That victory was one of the reasons the government sent the SSS to impound Justice Leman at the federal high court.
But I never ran away. I hired lawyers, and the matter went to the Supreme Court. That’s how we threw out Modu Sheriff.”
Wike also said claims that the Tinubu administration is harassing opposition parties are misleading.
“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.
The Rivers governor noted that both ruling and opposition parties often look for loopholes to gain political advantage.
“If you are an opposition party, you know the government or the ruling party will always look for a loophole. That is politics,” Wike said.
