Boma Achenimie 
In a fiery reaction to the takeover of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) by a coalition of opposition politicians, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has condemned the group, describing its leaders as a “gang of failed and expired politicians” with nothing new to offer Nigerians.
Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday, Wike delivered a scathing critique of the key figures behind the coalition, accusing them of hypocrisy and poor leadership during their time in power. His remarks come in the wake of an announcement by the newly restructured ADC, now led by several prominent political figures, including Senator David Mark, Rotimi Amaechi, Hadi Sirika, Abubakar Malami, Aminu Tambuwal, and Bolaji Abdullahi.
Wike questioned the moral authority of the coalition members to claim they want to “rescue Nigeria,” pointing to what he described as a dismal track record of governance and failed promises when they were in office.
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“I heard David Mark say they want to rescue Nigeria—that Nigerians are not happy. But the man was Senate President for eight years. Were Nigerians happy then? There was no single project in Otukpo. Not one. Yet, he was flying into Otukpo with a helicopter,” Wike said.
The FCT minister noted that Mark’s local influence had waned, citing his loss of political control in Benue State, where his daughter ran for office under the APC and won against PDP interests.
Wike criticized former transportation minister Rotimi Amaechi for taking “massive Chinese loans” that, according to him, left Nigeria heavily indebted.
“Amaechi was minister. He took Chinese loans and made Nigeria so indebted to China. Were Nigerians happy then?” Wike asked.
On former aviation minister Hadi Sirika, he questioned the collapse of the much-publicized Nigeria Air project.
“What happened to Air Nigeria? Where is it? Were Nigerians happy then?”
Wike also condemned former Attorney General Abubakar Malami, labeling his contributions as “shameful” and ineffective in dealing with Nigeria’s security issues.
“I read what Malami wrote. It was so shameful. He was AGF. What did he do? What was his contribution to resolving the security challenges?”
On former Speaker and Sokoto State governor Aminu Tambuwal, Wike challenged his legacy:
“Tambuwal was Speaker for four years. What did he do to make Nigerians not be angry? He was governor for eight years. What did he achieve?”
Referring to former Minister of Youth and Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi, Wike accused him of joining the ADC purely out of personal fallout with former Senate President Bukola Saraki.“He moved to the ADC just because he fell out with his godfather, Bukola Saraki. That’s not ideology, that’s desperation,” Wike said.
Wike concluded by asserting that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) remains the only viable political force capable of mounting a credible challenge to the Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration, provided the party can unite and organize effectively.
“The only party today that can still challenge Tinubu is the PDP—if they put their house in order.”
