PORT HARCOURT — The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has publicly ridiculed political activist Aisha Yesufu following her unsuccessful bid to secure the FCT senatorial ticket under the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
The Minister's Comments
Speaking at a luncheon for candidates of the Rainbow coalition in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Sunday, the FCT Minister used the platform to take a pointed swipe at Yesufu’s political performance. Wike, who has frequently engaged in public spats with critics, characterized Yesufu's inability to win the party's primary as a failure to translate media influence into electoral success.
“Ordinary primary of NDC, not APC or PDP, just ordinary NDC, what happened? She didn’t make it,” Wike said, dismissing her as someone who merely excels at using “grammar” rather than grassroots mobilization.
A Critique of "Media Politics"
The Minister suggested that figures who frequently feature in media discussions often lack the political structure required to win elections. He accused critics of relying on manufactured data and rhetoric that fails to hold up when put to the test of an internal party vote.
"It’s easy for people to talk. When they enter into those media houses, they begin to churn out data from nowhere. Now, the time for data has come. What happened? ‘Fa fa fa foul.’ It didn’t work," Wike added.
Context
Yesufu, a vocal activist and consistent critic of government policy, has often sparred with officials like Wike. The Minister’s remarks come amidst ongoing political realignments as the country heads toward the 2027 general elections. Supporters of the Minister view this as a validation of his stance on "practical politics," while critics see it as an attempt to undermine the credibility of civil society voices who challenge those in power.
