Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT, Nyesom Wike has described the Interim National Secretary of the opposition African Democratic Congress ADC, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as a failure, saying as Interior minister, he could not resolve the passport issue but subjected Nigerians to months of endless waiting for the travel document.
Comparing Aregbesola with his successor, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Wike said the current minister has within few months made it easier for Nigerians to now acquire their passports in record time and without having to know anyone.
The FCT minister made the assessment on Sunday in Abuja at a thanksgiving service for the successful presidential commissioning of 16 projects in the FCT which held at the Saint James’ Anglican Church in Asokoro.
Referring to Aregbesola, Wike said; “You were Minister of Interior here and to go and get international passport, one would spend days, weeks and months before one could go and get international passport. But look at a young boy now under this administration, see what he has done. Within hours you have gotten your international passport. And yet, you come and say Nigerians are angry. Yes, they are angry with you for not making it possible for them to get their international passports as quickly as possible”.
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Apparently referring to another leader of the ADC and former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, Wike said; “How can Nigerians not be angry with you? In 1999, you were in this party. In 2006, you were in another party. In 2014, you moved to another party. In 2019, you came back to another party. Now in 2025, you are moving to another party to rescue who? You want to rescue your stomach, it is not Nigeria you want to rescue.
“The time has passed. They will not have the opportunity again. You say you formed coalition for 18 months, which means the president was in office for six months when you started forming a coalition. They cannot stay out of power. Unfortunately, they have stayed out, and they will not come back”, he added.
Referring to the Interim National Chairman of the ADC and former Senate President, David Mark, Wike said; “Ask yourself a question. Just ask yourself, I was Senate President for eight years, for example. I was unable to provide road to my local government, Otukpo and I would fly helicopter to go to Otukpo. Eight years. Now, he says he is going to rescue Nigeria. Which Nigeria are you rescuing after eight years as Senate President?”.
Wike also tackled the former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and his wife, Judith.
“Somebody was Speaker for eight years. Governor, eight years. Minister, eight years. He didn’t know Nigerians were angry. It is just these two years he left office, you are telling Nigerians that Nigerians are angry. Why won’t they be angry when the eight years you spent as Minister of Transportation, you borrowed so much money from China, making us to be highly indebted. You had borrowed the future of Nigerians. You now say they are angry. Yes, they are angry with you.
These are the same people who want to rescue Nigeria.
“So, somebody said his wife is an industrialist. So, you have to sponsor him to be president. As an industrialist, who stopped all the industries everywhere? Yet Nigerians are angry. May God bless them. May God forgive them because they don’t know what they are doing. Come and challenge us in Abuja, whether Abuja is working or not”, he added.