Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed claims that he secured his current position through a backroom deal with President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Speaking during a media chat in Abuja on Monday, Wike, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who openly supported the then-candidate Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), addressed the speculation head-on, insisting his backing was not motivated by the prospect of personal gain.
“I have been a minister before. And that is the problem we have in this country. You think you must be a sycophant before you get a job,” Wike stated, rebuffing the notion that his political support was a transactional move.
The minister, who has faced criticism from his party for prioritising Tinubu’s ambition over the PDP’s candidate in the 2023 election, made it clear that no pre-condition was set for his support.
“I was not a minister when I said I would support President Tinubu. I never sat with him and said, ‘If you win, you will give me so, so and so thing,’” Wike clarified.
His comments serve to dispel widespread speculation about any political bargains struck before the election, as he continues to face knocks from various quarters for his role in backing a candidate from a rival party.
