The All Progressives Congress (APC) has defended the decision of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to campaign for its candidates during the recent FCT area council elections.
Speaking in a television interview, APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka said Wike’s involvement was constitutionally protected and not in violation of any law.
“If Nyesom Wike wants to go on campaigning for any candidate in any party whatsoever, he has the inherent liberty to do so,” Morka stated.
“He is a citizen of the Federal Capital Republic of Nigeria who has freedom guaranteed by the constitution. He has the right to support any candidate he wants.”
Cross-Party Alignment Debate
Wike, a former governor elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), openly supported APC candidates in the FCT polls, a move that sparked debate within opposition ranks and among political observers.
The controversy intensified after two PDP chairmanship candidates withdrew from the race and endorsed APC rivals ahead of the elections.
The PDP National Working Committee criticised the withdrawals as “anti-democratic,” alleging that they were induced without party consent.
APC’s Framing
Morka framed Wike’s role not as a strategic orchestration by the ruling party but as an expression of individual constitutional rights under Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution.
The APC secured five of the six area council chairmanship seats in the FCT.
President Bola Tinubu later commended Wike’s role in the electoral victories.
Constitutional Tension
Nigeria’s political system does not prohibit public office holders from supporting candidates across party lines, provided they do not violate electoral laws or misuse public office.
However, cross-party campaigning often fuels debates about ideological consistency, party discipline, and the boundaries of political allegiance in a multi-party democracy.
The FCT polls have therefore triggered not only electoral fallout but a broader conversation about loyalty, liberty, and the evolving nature of political alignment in Nigeria
This is IDNN. Independent. Digital. Uncompromising.
