FCT Polls: Wike Free to Back Any Candidate – APC 

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has defended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, stating that he is within his constitutional rights to support any candidate of his choice, regardless of party affiliation.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Monday, APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka addressed the controversy surrounding Wike’s involvement in the February 21 FCT Area Council elections. 

He maintained that Wike, like any Nigerian citizen, is entitled to freely associate and campaign for candidates across party lines, describing it as a right guaranteed by the constitution.

“If Nyesom Wike wants to go on campaigning for any candidate in any party whatsoever, he has the inherent liberty to do so.

“Wike is a citizen of the Federal Capital Republic of Nigeria who also has freedom guaranteed by the constitution.

“He has the right to support any candidate he wants,” Morka said.

The defence comes as scrutiny of Wike’s role in the elections heightened, where the APC secured victory in five of the six area councils.

The situation drew further attention after two Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairmanship candidates, Julius Adamu in Bwari and Zadna Dantani in the Abuja Municipal Area Council, stepped down from the race and publicly endorsed APC candidates, reportedly following Wike’s intervention.

The PDP National Working Committee criticised the withdrawals, characterising them as undemocratic and alleging they were orchestrated without the party’s approval, effectively amounting to a forced consensus.

Wike’s visible support for APC candidates has since stirred debate over party loyalty and political alignment within Nigeria’s multi-party system. 

However, Morka framed the minister’s actions as a legitimate exercise of individual political freedom rather than a coordinated party strategy.

President Bola Tinubu had earlier acknowledged Wike’s role in APC’s electoral success in the FCT and the by-elections in Rivers State, commending his contributions to the outcome.