The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has responded strongly to accusations by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, who recently labeled him a “transactional politician.” Mohammed, who also serves as the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum, made the comment during a press engagement on Thursday, alleging that Wike’s political moves were driven by personal ambitions.
In a statement issued by Wike’s media aide, Lere Olayinka, the minister criticized Mohammed, accusing him of being a “greedy politician” who lacks the capacity to lead the PDP Governors Forum effectively. Olayinka dismissed Mohammed’s remarks as baseless and rooted in political self-interest.
“It is funny that a known fair-weather politician like Bala Mohammed was the one calling someone else a transactional politician,” Olayinka stated.
The statement went further to accuse Mohammed of abandoning his political allies in pursuit of personal gain. Olayinka recalled how the Bauchi governor allegedly deserted his political godfather, Isa Yuguda, in 2007 and left the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) to accept a ministerial appointment under the PDP government of former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2010.
“Governor Bala Mohammed is holding the position of Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum out of political greed because, by convention and practice, the position should be held by one of the PDP governors in the South,” Olayinka said.
He argued that Mohammed’s leadership of the forum has been marked by division and ineffectiveness. “Despite usurping the position, Bala Mohammed has demonstrated a lack of capacity to lead the PDP, which is why the party is in its current state,” he added.
Wike’s camp also accused Mohammed of fostering divisions within the PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC), alleging that he only engages with a faction of the committee while neglecting others. “For his ineptitude and lack of leadership capacity, Bala Mohammed has been blaming Chief Ezenwo Nyesom Wike’s appointment as FCT Minister,” the statement read.
Olayinka defended Wike’s decision to serve as a minister under the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration, describing it as a common practice in Nigerian politics. “Do we still need to remind Bala Mohammed that Wike, a committed PDP member, serving in the APC government is not new in the history of politics and governance in Nigeria?” he asked.
Drawing parallels, Olayinka pointed out that during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration (1999–2003), members of opposition parties, including the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and Alliance for Democracy (AD), were appointed to serve in the PDP-led government.
Ironically, the statement noted, Mohammed himself accepted a ministerial appointment in 2010 while still a member of the ANPP, only to defect to the PDP months later. “His defection to the PDP after being appointed minister demonstrated his fair-weather and opportunistic approach to politics,” Olayinka alleged.
Wike’s team also criticized Mohammed’s handling of the PDP Governors Forum, accusing him of exploiting his position for personal gain rather than working to strengthen the party. “Rather than taking responsibility for leadership, Bala Mohammed opted to divide the PDP’s National Working Committee, relating with a faction while neglecting the other,” the statement said.
The statement described Mohammed’s criticisms as an attempt to deflect attention from his alleged failures as a leader within the PDP. “Our attention has been drawn to the ‘say-nothing’ press statement issued by Governor Bala Mohammed, and we sympathize with a man who, out of political greed, has plunged himself into the deepest part of the river despite not knowing how to swim,” it said.
Wike’s team reiterated their stance that political appointments across party lines are not unusual and that Mohammed’s attacks on the minister were unfounded. “It is unfortunate that Bala Mohammed is attempting to make Wike’s service under President Tinubu an excuse for his lack of capacity as chairman of the PDP Governors Forum,” the statement concluded.
