The Special Adviser to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde on Federal Constituency Matters, Dare Adeleke, has accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, of repeatedly betraying and falling out with political allies and benefactors.
Speaking with The PUNCH on Tuesday, Adeleke alleged that Wike’s political journey reflects “a consistent pattern of abusing friendships and destroying relationships,” adding that Governor Makinde could never align himself with such a person.
His comments followed Wike’s remarks on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, where the minister denied having a close friendship with Makinde, insisting their relationship was strictly political.
Wike also dismissed Makinde’s potential of being elected Nigeria’s President.
Wike and Makinde were both part of the G5 group before the 2023 presidential election, which advocated for a Southern presidency and opposed the ambition of the PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Wike, while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, said his disagreement with Makinde had nothing to do with political rivalry but with the need to uphold party discipline within the PDP.
Reacting to claims that the tension was linked to Makinde’s alleged presidential ambition, he laughed off the speculation, saying becoming President is “not about being a PhD holder, an engineer or a lawyer… not about waking up in the morning and saying I want to be a presidential candidate.”
“Some people just want to run and, at the end of the day, become leader of the party,” he said.
However, Makinde’s aide, on Tuesday, argued that Wike’s alleged tendency to betray friends is reflected in his fractured relationships with former Rivers State governors Rotimi Amaechi and Peter Odili, warning President Bola Tinubu to be wary of suffering a similar fate.
Adeleke said, “Wike’s stock-in-trade is abusing friendships and betraying those who made him.
“Virtually everyone who supported his rise is no longer his friend. Peter Odili appointed him council chairman; they fell out. Rotimi Amaechi then made him Chief of Staff, and he turned against him. Patience and Goodluck Jonathan stood by him to become governor; today, he bites the same fingers that fed him. His trait is arrogance; he is not a person whom anybody can rely upon.
“Wike is compounding the problem for Tinubu, and Tinubu cannot caution him because they are birds of a feather.”
He argued that Makinde represents the opposite of Wike’s style, describing the Oyo governor as “principled, morally grounded and one who acts with restraint and dignity.”
“Governor Makinde can never be friends with someone like Wike. Makinde is a quiet gentleman, a man of noble background who believes in ethics, respect and loyalty.
“He doesn’t thrive on desperation or intimidation. His performance speaks for him, not noise or betrayal,” Adeleke said.
Adeleke also accused Wike of trying to impose himself on the PDP in Rivers State and of using federal power to target party members who oppose him.
“What Wike is doing in Rivers and in the PDP is a repeat pattern,” he alleged. “Anyone who refuses to dance to his tune becomes an enemy. He did it to Odili, to Amaechi, to the Jonathans, and now he thinks he can do it to Makinde. Truly, a leopard cannot change its spots,” he said.
The aide further alleged that Wike’s loyalty to the PDP has been compromised for political convenience.
He also accused Wike of being a tool of the presidency to “cripple the PDP,” describing the FCT Minister as a “fake PDP member.”
“If not, why would somebody use thugs to harass the people of the PDP that made him? I watched him yesterday say he is a member of the PDP. Wike is compounding problems for the PDP and for the government he claims to serve. He boasts about being in the PDP, yet he works against the party. He is a fake PDP member,” Adeleke said.
