Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed allegations that Nigeria’s opposition parties are under siege, insisting that current political tensions stem more from internal struggles.

Speaking during his monthly media briefing in Abuja on Friday, Wike challenged the narrative that the administration of President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is working to dismantle opposition structures.

The claims have gained traction amid recent developments involving the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which withdrew recognition from factions within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) following a March 12 appeal court ruling and ongoing litigation at the federal high court.

But Wike argued that such disputes are not new to Nigeria’s political landscape, recalling his own experience within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

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“It’s not correct that the current ruling party is killing the opposition, and I take exceptions to that,” Wike said.

“If there was anybody tormented by a government, it was me, and I never ran away. I was personally haunted under Buhari.”

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Drawing parallels with past internal party battles, Wike pointed to the PDP leadership crisis involving Ali Modu Sheriff, which he said tested the resilience of party stakeholders.

“We fought Modu Sheriff. We won at the federal high court. That victory was one of the reasons the government sent the SSS to impound Justice Leman at the federal high court.

“But I never ran away. I hired lawyers, and the matter went to the Supreme Court. That’s how we threw out Modu Sheriff.”

The FCT minister further described current accusations against the Tinubu government as selective outrage driven by political interests.

“Under Buhari, this is what they did to kill PDP. All these people shouting… it is only when it does not favor you,” he said.

According to Wike, both ruling and opposition parties routinely exploit legal and institutional gaps to gain advantage, stressing that such maneuvering is intrinsic to politics.

“If you are an opposition party, you know the government or the ruling party will always look for a loophole. That is politics,” Wike said.