Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has responded to accusations by Bala Mohammed, Bauchi State governor, who blamed him for political unrest in the state.
Recall that Mohammed had alleged that Wike once vowed to “put fire” in Bauchi and is now using federal agencies and political influence to destabilise his administration.
The Bauchi governor also alleged that the minister has become a major source of division within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Shortly afterwards, Wike dismissed the claims and described them as a strategy by Mohammed to deflect responsibility for his own political challenges.
“I watched what the Bauchi governor is saying, that all the problems he’s having, that I’m the one because I said I would put fire in his state. So if I have such power, why are you fighting? If I have such power to put fire, why are you fighting?” Wike said.
The former Rivers State governor insisted that Mohammed’s difficulties were self-inflicted, arising from his own actions within the PDP in Bauchi.
“Go and face your problem. You came to my state, I said, ‘Be careful, leave my state alone.’ You want to impose a party leader in my state. Today, he doesn’t have a party to bring his successor,” he stated.
Wike recalled warning PDP leaders against overreaching in states they could not control, saying the current disarray in Bauchi reflected a failure to heed his advice.
Reacting to Mohammed’s claim that he influenced Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) actions against some associates, Wike rejected any connection to the anti-graft agency, stressing that law enforcement should not be politicised.
“Now EFCC is chasing them, he said it’s me. What’s my business? If your state is clean, go there and enjoy yourself,” the minister added.
Wike maintained that his disputes with Mohammed were confined to party leadership issues and not related to personal finances or governance choices.
“So this is just to tell Nigerians, tell them to leave me alone; go and face your problems. I’m only fighting with you as party leadership. I’m not interested in what you spend,” he said.
He also challenged the Bauchi State governor over his own tenure as FCT minister from 2010 to 2015, urging him to account for his record before criticising the current administration.