Wike washes hands off APC Rivers screening: ‘I’m not a prophet’

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has distanced himself from the controversy surrounding the screening of aspirants by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State.

Wike, who is not a member of the party, emphasized that the issue was outside his purview.

“I am not a member of the APC, so I don’t know what is happening in their screening. Even if they publish the results, why would I comment? I don’t know the reasons they have,” Wike told journalists during an inspection tour of ongoing infrastructure projects across Abuja, ahead of President Bola Tinubu’s third anniversary in office.

Wike was blunt in his refusal to engage, saying, “What pertains to me is what I will talk about, not what does not concern me. Governor Fubara didn’t tell me he has any problem in APC. I’m not a native doctor, neither am I a prophet.”

The Minister also discussed the growing political landscape in Rivers State, indicating that his “rainbow coalition” would focus on electoral strength rather than strict party affiliations. “That is the essence of the rainbow coalition in Rivers State. We will look at where we have strength, compare notes, and vote accordingly,” he said.

Wike also praised the progress of ongoing infrastructure projects across Abuja, including key roads and bridges. He expressed satisfaction with the pace of delivery, saying contractors had committed to completing streetlight installations by the end of May. He also highlighted the steady progress on the Dutse-Alhaji-to-M5 road, which is nearing completion, with only streetlight installation pending.

Several of these projects are set to be inaugurated as part of President Tinubu’s third-anniversary events. Wike expressed pride in the quality of work done by the contractors, adding that the excellence of the projects was evident.

On the issue of alleged harassment by tax enforcement officials, Wike acknowledged the friction around tax collection but said no formal complaints had reached the FCT Administration. “There must be a civilised way of collecting taxes, but knowing our taxpayers, people don’t like to pay tax. When tax collectors come, they find one excuse or the other,” Wike noted.