Veteran journalist and former presidential spokesperson, Dr. Reuben Abati, has accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, of undermining President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and exposing the presidency to public ridicule through his political activities in Rivers State.
Abati made the assertion on Thursday, January 8, 2026, while speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show, where he strongly criticised Wike’s claim of leading a so-called “rainbow coalition” in Rivers State.
According to Abati, Wike lacks both the moral and political authority to interfere in the affairs of the All Progressives Congress (APC), stressing that the minister is not a member of the ruling party.
He recalled that the leadership of the APC, including the party’s National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, and the National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, had publicly disowned Wike’s actions, describing him as a meddlesome outsider with no mandate to speak or act on behalf of the party.
Abati further noted the irony that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Wike’s former political platform, has also repeatedly rejected him, insisting that he is no longer recognised as its member.
Raising deeper concerns, the former presidential aide accused the FCT minister of abandoning his statutory responsibilities in Abuja to engage in partisan politics in Rivers State, including what he described as premature and unauthorised campaigns for President Tinubu.
“Here is a minister of the Federal Capital Territory who has abandoned his duty post,” Abati said. “He is in Rivers State, going door to door, house to house, claiming to campaign for the president, when even the party itself says they did not send him on any assignment.”
Abati warned that such actions not only violate political norms but also risk placing President Tinubu in an awkward and embarrassing position before the Nigerian public.
He questioned why Wike was openly campaigning when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has not declared the commencement of political campaigns, describing the situation as a blatant disregard for electoral laws.
“What Wike is doing in Rivers State amounts to indiscipline and irresponsibility,” Abati stated. “It is ridiculous, and rather than helping the president, it exposes him to contempt and ridicule.”
He concluded that Wike’s conduct appeared more like an attempt to upstage the president than to support him, noting that it was unsurprising that senior figures within the APC had openly expressed discomfort and opposition to the minister’s actions.
