By Daniel Tyokua
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), BNyesom Wike, has accused opposition politicians of misleading Nigerians about President Bola Tinubu’s performance, arguing that partisan interests should not prevent a fair assessment of the administration’s record.
Wike, who spoke during a media parley in Abuja on Tuesday, maintained that Tinubu deserved recognition for what he described as positive developments under his administration, regardless of the political affiliations of those making the assessment.
He said the emerging coalition supporting the president’s re-election was partly motivated by the need to challenge what he characterised as unfair criticism of the administration.
According to the minister, political competition should not require opposition parties to dismiss every action of an incumbent government, particularly where there are grounds to acknowledge progress.
“Whether anybody likes it or not, Mr President has done well,” Wike said.
He argued that the tendency to portray the government as having achieved nothing was driven largely by the opposition’s desire to take power.
“Politics must not be played as a do-or-die affair,” he said, urging political actors to distinguish between legitimate criticism and statements intended primarily to discredit opponents.
Wike cited remarks attributed to Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, who belongs to the opposition Allied Peoples Movement (APM), as an example of an opposition figure acknowledging aspects of Tinubu’s performance.
The minister said such assessments demonstrated that support for the president could emerge from outside the APC and should not automatically be interpreted as a betrayal of opposition politics.
He argued that the national interest required political leaders to acknowledge developments they considered beneficial to the country, even when doing so might not align with their parties’ electoral calculations.
Wike also defended the Rainbow Coalition, which brings together APC members and supporters of Tinubu from other political parties, describing it as an avenue for mobilising broader support for the president
