Wike’s Jonathan Paranoia

“It is one thing for Wike to declare his support for Tinubu ahead of 2027. It is another for him to openly cast aspersions on Jonathan’s potential candidacy, a move that reeks of insecurity and fear.”

By Umar Sani

The enfant terrible of Nigerian politics, Nyesom Wike, now serving as Minister of the FCT, appears to be living in a world consumed by paranoia. Over the years, he has managed to cast nearly everyone around him into the category of betrayers, yet refuses to see how much of his predicament is the result of his own schemes.

The crisis within the PDP after the resignation of Dr. Adamu Mu’azu as National Chairman in the wake of Jonathan’s electoral defeat was the stage on which Wike began his drama of control. His erstwhile ally, Uche Secondus, was acting National Chairman and was positioned to conduct a smooth national convention that could have revived the party. But Wike, in his quest to dominate, played a different game. Despite the court judgment secured by Ahmed Gulak that upheld zoning pacts, Wike’s lack of tact opened the door for Ali Modu Sheriff. That action was the start of what Wike himself later described as a cycle of betrayals.

To Wike, the ascension of Modu Sheriff, Makarfi, Secondus, Ayu, and now Damagun as successive PDP leaders is all seen as betrayals of his political vision. Beyond the party’s internal hierarchy, he has also labeled Tambuwal and Atiku as turncoats. Yet the reality is that Wike has always orchestrated the rise of these individuals with ulterior motives, only to eventually portray himself as their victim when the outcome did not serve his personal ambitions.

Take the case of Makarfi. Wike reportedly promised him support for his presidential ambition in exchange for frustrating the Southwest’s preferred candidate, Professor Tunde Adeniran, in the chairmanship race. Before that, Bode George had been sidelined and humiliated until Wike staged a belated apology at his Lagos residence. Similarly, Jimmy Agbaje was at one point elevated and promoted as Wike’s anointed choice for party chairman, only to be abandoned when no longer convenient.

Even former President Jonathan was not spared. Wike used him as a pawn in his bitter feud with Rotimi Amaechi. In desperation to end Jonathan’s tenure, Amaechi allegedly sold off Rivers State gas turbines for about $308 million, funneling the proceeds into the APC presidential campaign. That massive financial injection boosted the APC’s chances and contributed to Jonathan’s defeat. Today, Wike dares to suggest that Jonathan’s political ambition is a threat to stability. Such effrontery exposes his meddlesome and arrogant streak.

Wike styles himself as a political kingmaker who never betrays anyone, yet his record shows a man who manipulates allies, discards them when expedient, and then claims betrayal when they refuse to serve his interests. His constant loquaciousness, his appetite for meddling, and his flair for dramatic outbursts have made him a political busybody. He thrives on being in the headlines, even when his commentary undermines both his allies and his party.

It is one thing for Wike to declare his support for Tinubu ahead of 2027. It is another for him to openly cast aspersions on Jonathan’s potential candidacy, a move that reeks of insecurity and fear. Jonathan remains a formidable figure whose chances in 2027 cannot be dismissed. His support base spans the South-South, South-East, North-Central, and parts of the North-East and North-West. His candidacy could reshape the political balance and challenge the dominance of preferred candidates outside the PDP fold.

When Wike told Seun Okinbaloye that “when we get to the bridge we will cross it” in reference to zoning and presidential tickets, it was clear he was evading the truth. Now that the South has secured the ticket, he dances flamboyantly, but his denials are glaring.

Wike’s paranoia may well be his undoing. In trying to outmaneuver everyone, he has become entangled in his own web of intrigues. The more he cries betrayal, the more it becomes clear that the greatest betrayer in his political journey has always been himself.

.Sani is a former Senior Special Assistant to former Vice President Namadi Sambo, and a former PDP presidential candidate spokesman.