Politics Gone Too Far: Wike Accuses Opposition of Weaponising Religion to Stop Tinubu’s 2027 Return -

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has accused opposition leaders of being behind the Christian genocide allegation against President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Wike, who made the claim during an appearance on Politics Today on Channels Television on Monday, accused the opposition of plotting to divide Nigerians because they know they cannot defeat President Tinubu in the 2027 election.

According to him, the allegation being amplified internationally, including by U.S. President Donald Trump, was politically motivated and aimed at destabilising the government.

“In 2015 under Jonathan, people capitalised on this kind of things to get power,” Wike said.

When asked directly if he believed the opposition was responsible for the Christian genocide allegation, the minister replied, “It’s very obvious.”

He explained that the political opposition had grown desperate following what he described as the “collapse” of their political base.

“The problem we have today is that, by Mr President’s nature of politics, you can see the collapse of the opposition,” Wike said.

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He added that some opposition figures were deliberately exploiting religion to sow division and weaken national unity ahead of 2027.

“There are so many undercurrents going on. The opposition has seen that, with the way it is, no party is prepared to challenge the President’s return to power. What do we do? Should we allow him to just go in like that without challenges? We must do something,” Wike said.

“And one of it is to bring up something that will divide the country. This is politics taken too far,” he added.

Wike Defends Tinubu Over Extremism

Wike also said there was no basis for insinuations that the government of President Bola Tinubu was turning a blind eye to the killing of Christians in the country.

“The Inspector General of Police is a Christian, the Director-General of State Security is a Christian. Today, the Chief of Defence is a Christian; the former Chief of Defence is a Christian. The Secretary to the Government is a Christian. Now tell me, how can any right-thinking person sit in government that will support the killing of our own people? That’s why I said it is politics taken too far,” Wike said.

The minister said it’s impossible for Tinubu to condone or support any form of religious persecution.

“Not this President — whose wife is a senior pastor — will shut his eyes and will not do anything, that a particular religion is being eliminated. Certainly not,” he stated.

Wike emphasised that the federal government had invested heavily in combating terrorism and safeguarding citizens, regardless of their faith.

“In fact, as I speak to you, I don’t know any government that has spent more resources in taming terrorism than this government,” he said.

He added that terrorism in Nigeria had affected everyone, not just one religious group.

“Terrorists are killing Christians, terrorists are killing Muslims, terrorists are killing non-believers. Nobody would be happy over the death of anybody, whether a Christian or a Muslim. No right-thinking leader would say, ‘I’m happy that people are dying,” Wike said.

The minister also defended President Tinubu’s record on religious tolerance, recalling that his own support for the President during the 2023 elections was based on Tinubu’s inclusive character.

“One of the reasons some of us supported him, when people raised the issue of a Muslim-Muslim ticket, was because we knew the kind of person he is. He is not an extremist. That’s why he was able to say, ‘I’m marrying a Christian,” Wike said.