Wike, Aisha Yesufu in Verbal War Over Failed NDC Senate Bid

A war of words has erupted between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and activist Aisha Yesufu following the collapse of her bid to secure the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) ticket for the Federal Capital Territory Senate seat.

The exchange came days after Yesufu’s aspiration suffered a setback when the party announced it would not conduct primary elections for the FCT senatorial position.

Yesufu had formally declared her intention to contest the seat on May 6 after defecting from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to the NDC.

However, on Friday, she disclosed that the planned primary election would no longer hold, effectively ending her quest to fly the party’s flag in the contest.

Speaking at a luncheon organised for candidates of the Rainbow Coalition in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Saturday, Wike seized on the development to take a swipe at the activist.

The former Rivers State governor mocked Yesufu’s failed attempt to secure the ticket, arguing that political contests require more than public commentary and media appearances.

“There’s one woman who said Wike is an appointee of government and that she has no business with appointees. You speak grammar, speak grammar.

“Ordinary primary of NDC, not APC or PDP, just ordinary NDC, what happened? She didn’t make it,” Wike said.

The minister added that many political commentators often rely on theories and statistics without testing their popularity in real political contests.

“It’s easy for people to talk. When they enter into those media houses, they begin to churn out data from nowhere. Now, the time for data has come. What happened?” he asked.

Yesufu did not let the remarks go unanswered.

In a response posted on her official X handle on Sunday, the activist fired back at the minister, challenging him to mention her name directly whenever he wished to criticise her.

“If dem born Wike well, make e call my name with his full chest! What Tambuwal did him in 2022 will be child’s play,” she wrote.

The activist also reminded Wike of his own experience during the 2022 presidential primary race of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), where he failed to secure the party’s ticket.

According to her, the minister was in no position to mock anyone over the outcome of a party nomination process.

“Yes, I didn’t get the NDC ticket, but Wike also could not win primaries in 2022. He even lobbied for running mate and still was not chosen,” she said.

She further accused the minister of contributing to the crisis that weakened the PDP and led to its recent political setbacks.

The latest exchange adds another chapter to the long-running political sparring between Wike and some of the government’s most vocal critics, as political realignments and preparations for the 2027 elections continue to gather momentum.