Former All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Rivers State, Tonye Cole, has criticised the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, over what he describes as confusion regarding Wike’s political loyalty.
Speaking on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television on Friday, Cole questioned Wike’s relationship with the ruling APC while simultaneously claiming membership of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“Is he APC or is he PDP? As far as we know today, he is PDP,” Cole said.
He warned that such ambiguity risks misleading voters in Rivers State and Nigerians at large, undermining democratic clarity.
“We cannot continue confusing the electorate in Rivers State and confusing Nigerians because it is dangerous for democracy, that you are in one party, you are controlling another party and we are trying to create a one-party state that is a mixture that nobody is clear about,” he added.
During the 2023 presidential campaign, Wike notably supported the call for the presidency to rotate to the South, opposing his party’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who hails from the North. Following the election, President Bola Tinubu appointed Wike as a minister.
Wike has since voiced support for President Tinubu’s second-term bid at various events.
In the recent local government elections held on 30 August, the APC won 20 out of 23 councils in Rivers State. The PDP secured three councils, including Obio/Akpor, where Wike previously served two terms as chairman before becoming governor from 2015 to 2023.
