The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed any potential presidential ambition by the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, describing it as “dead on arrival.”
Wike made the remarks on Sunday, further escalating tensions between the two political figures amid their ongoing dispute.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Lere Olayinka, Wike criticized Mohammed’s leadership capabilities, particularly as chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum, and accused him of engaging in opportunistic politics.
The statement read, “The appointment of Barrister Nyesom Wike as minister remains the only excuse available for the Bauchi State governor to defend his glaring lack of capacity to lead the PDP as chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum.
“Wike is not the first opposition member in Nigeria to serve as a minister, and he certainly won’t be the last. However, Governor Bala Mohammed, who left his Senatorial mandate under the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) to become a minister in a PDP government, lacks the moral standing to criticize Wike.”
Wike’s statement further accused Mohammed of political inconsistency, alleging that his defection from the ANPP to the PDP after his ministerial appointment under former President Goodluck Jonathan was a demonstration of “opportunistic politics.”
The minister stated, “If Bala Mohammed had been offered even a Special Assistant position by the APC government in 2015, he would have accepted it and defected to the APC. His pattern of political maneuvering is clear.”
Concluding his remarks, Wike dismissed Mohammed’s alleged presidential ambition for 2027, stating, “We are done with any object by the name Bala Mohammed. We have better things to do and won’t be available to be used to launch a futile political ambition.”
The ongoing face-off between Wike and Mohammed underscores growing divisions within the PDP as party members position themselves ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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