My job is to give opposition leaders high blood pressure — Wike
August 22, 2026 10:39 am
File Photo: FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said his responsibility in the current political contest is to keep opposition leaders under pressure and ensure they do not feel comfortable.
Wike stated this on Friday while speaking to journalists during an inspection of ongoing infrastructure projects in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The minister, who spoke about the state of the opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections, said the crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party had made it difficult to identify a formidable leading opposition party.
He said, “I’ve told you there is no position. What do you have people who are not trying to see whether they can be relevant? Who’s the opposition leader now? Ordinarily, it would have been PDP, but because of the crisis we have had, and so you can’t see a formidable party that you call a leading opposition party.
“So, whatever they feel, it’s none of my business. I don’t want them to feel well. It’s not my wish that they should feel well.
“My business is to make them not to feel well all the days. Because they will be having high blood pressure. Yes, that’s my job.
“To make them to have high blood pressure. I am not here to make them to feel good, no. You see, when you are having a contest with somebody, your business is not to make him feel well.
“Your business is to make sure you beat him thoroughly. So that he will be sick all through. And that’s what we are doing to them.”
Wike, a former governor of Rivers State and a member of the PDP, has remained at odds with several opposition figures following the political crisis that has engulfed the party.
The minister also dismissed concerns about the feelings of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, saying their reactions to the political developments were of no concern to him.
He added, “So how Atiku feels, how Obi feels, it does not give any headache. If I know how they feel now, I will add more crisis for them.”
Fawzi is a journalist and subeditor covering a wide range of beats including politics, metro, and international news, among others. He also optimises stories for digital audiences.
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