The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has downplayed the controversy surrounding his recent meeting with Julius Abure, the factional national chairman of the Labour Party.
Speaking during a media parley in Abuja on Monday, Wike said cross-party political engagement is routine and should not be blown out of proportion.
In July, Abure met with Wike at the minister’s residence in Abuja. Following public criticism, Abure later said the meeting was wrongly interpreted, describing it as a private and privileged engagement.
He also noted that, as a Nigerian, he had the right to meet with public officials.
Responding to the controversy, Wike said it is not unusual for politicians to meet and discuss matters of mutual interest.
He said there was no crime in interacting with fellow politicians and added that politicians, like professionals in other fields, often need to engage with one another.
“Now, they said Abure came… of course. He is a politician. I am a politician. What is wrong?” he said
“Politicians meet themselves. Just like you, journalists, you meet. Is there any crime?”
Wike, a former governor of Rivers state, also noted that he had recently hosted governors from Edo, Ebonyi, and, noting that he maintained friendships across political divides.
He said such interactions were common and often focused on governance issues and experience sharing.
“I met with the governors of Edo, Ebonyi, and Kogi states. They are my friends. We relate. I was once in their shoes,” Wike said.
“We ask each other questions — how did you do this? How are you handling this?”
Asked whether his meeting with Abure was related to plans for the 2027 general election, Wike declined to give details, stating that it was unnecessary to disclose political strategies.
On the allegations that he is fuelling the leadership crisis in the Labour Party, Wike refuted the claims but said he has no interest in supporting political opponents.
“I’m not here to help anybody who’s my opponent. If they’re having problems, it’s my prayer that you should try to have a problem,” he said.
Wike also took a swipe at Atiku Abubakar, the former vice president, over his recent defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the African Democratic Congress
