“Wike Is an Asset”: Why Jibrin Wants APC Governors to Stop Attacking the FCT Minister

A new political argument is emerging inside the ruling All Progressives Congress.

Federal lawmaker Abdulmumin Jibrin has urged APC members to stop publicly embarrassing Nyesom Wike, arguing that the FCT Minister remains an asset to the party despite retaining his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Jibrin’s intervention came after criticism from some APC governors over Wike’s continued membership of the opposition PDP and his support for President Bola Tinubu.

The issue is therefore bigger than Wike’s personal political identity.

It is about how the APC manages people who remain formally outside the party but politically cooperate with the Tinubu administration.

Jibrin’s argument

Jibrin said Wike had contributed to Tinubu’s political success and argued that APC members had benefited from his efforts.

He specifically pointed to Wike’s political influence in Rivers State and the Federal Capital Territory.

Jibrin also said Wike’s supporters had helped the APC during elections in the FCT, including by asking some candidates to step aside for APC candidates. These are Jibrin’s claims about Wike’s political contribution and should be understood as such.

His message to APC governors was straightforward: disagreements should be handled through dialogue rather than public attacks.

The awkward political equation

Wike occupies an unusual position.He is a PDP member serving as a minister in an APC-led Federal Government.

He has also openly supported Tinubu while remaining outside the ruling party. That arrangement has created political questions inside the APC, particularly as politicians begin positioning themselves for the 2027 elections.

For supporters of cooperation, Wike’s influence can be viewed as useful to the administration.

For those demanding clearer party loyalty, his continued PDP membership presents an obvious contradiction.

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Jibrin is addressing that contradiction by separating party membership from political usefulness.

Why his statement matters

Jibrin is not merely defending Wike personally. He is making an argument about political coalition-building.

Modern Nigerian politics frequently produces alliances that cross formal party boundaries. Politicians can remain members of one party while supporting candidates or governments associated with another.

The question is how long such arrangements can remain politically comfortable.

Jibrin’s warning suggests that he believes attacking Wike publicly could damage cooperation with a politician who still has influence in Rivers State, the FCT and the wider political network around the Tinubu administration.

Whether other APC leaders accept that argument is a separate question. For now, Jibrin has made his position clear: Wike’s contribution should be considered alongside his party membership, not erased because of it.

The statement adds another layer to the increasingly complex political alliances ahead of 2027, ValidViewNetwork reports.