Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has publicly denounced leading opposition figures such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Mr. Peter Obi, and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, labeling them as “known liars.” Speaking during his monthly media briefing in Abuja, Wike accused these figures of misleading Nigerians with false promises of a credible alternative to the current political landscape.

Wike specifically targeted opposition parties, including the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), highlighting what he described as glaring contradictions exposed during their recent primary elections. He argued that these parties, despite positioning themselves as agents of reform and new faces of democracy, have demonstrably failed to conduct credible internal processes. This, according to Wike, raises serious questions about their actual capacity to govern effectively.

He recalled past criticisms of both ruling and opposition parties, asserting that the recent events within the NDC and ADC primaries validated long-standing concerns about internal party weaknesses across the entire political spectrum. Wike noted, “They said they are the saviours that will come. What has happened now? NDC said, ‘We are the new face of democracy.’ ADC said theirs is a party that has not been polluted… Everything has become so dirty.”

The Minister further criticized the chaotic nature of the opposition primaries, even for what he termed small-scale internal elections, which were allegedly marred by disputes and protests. He pointed out the situation in the NDC, asking, “As small as they are, they cannot conduct a primary without protest.” Similarly, he questioned the ADC, which had positioned itself as a coalition dedicated to rescuing Nigeria’s democracy from perceived distortions by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), querying, “Look at the ADC that said it is a coalition to take over from the APC… What has happened?”

Wike contended that the controversies surrounding these congresses revealed the hypocrisy of opposition leaders who frequently criticize other parties for electoral flaws. He cited instances where two presidential aspirants expressed disbelief at the internal happenings, questioning why they were engaging in the very practices they condemned in others. According to Wike, these developments have effectively unmasked the opposition leaders’ attempts to present themselves as political messiahs. He challenged their claims, asking, “Who is deceiving who? Who is coming to Nigerians to tell them that they are the new-born baby and the messiah of our time?”

Concluding his remarks, Wike unequivocally stated, “Nigerians have now known that they are all liars. They cannot continue to deceive the people.” He maintained that, based on recent experiences and the internal failures of these opposition parties, established political parties remain better equipped and suited to navigate Nigeria’s complex political realities.