Wike and APC: Political Tensions Rise

An old Yoruba saying goes, if you want to buy just the head and limbs of a tortoise, you will end up buying the whole tortoise. This saying captures the situation between the 31-member Nigerian Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) and FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike last week.

Wike arrived at the PGF meeting looking to only buy a tortoise's head and limbs. He insisted he wants no part of the entire creature. But the PGF, led by Hope Uzodinma, is questioning this deal. If Wike's Rainbow Coalition supports President Bola Tinubu, then they must commit fully and buy the whole tortoise. The PGF does not want any outside group to weaken the ruling party or disrupt grassroots loyalty ahead of the 2027 elections. Anyone wanting its tortoise must take it whole.

This political tension caused a stir last week. PGF members reacted fiercely, like angry termites defending their home. On Arise TV, APC member Farouk Aliyu acknowledged that Wike had created a huge distraction. When termites face invaders, their anger matches the look in the eyes of the governors last week. Wild cats show their anger clearly. They narrow their eyes and focus on their target, ready to attack. As kids, we used to sing: "The eyes of the leopard are red; the tail of the leopard is turgid!"

At their press conference in Abuja, the PGF tried to show diplomacy. Uzodinma seemed wary of directly addressing Wike, even when he was the main topic. Who dares to shine a light into the eyes of "Ògìdán, olóólà ijù," the lone predator whose spots are marked by nature and whose sharp claws are like an artist's knife?

Still, Uzodinma stood firm: the PGF will not support any political alliance outside the APC structure. They dismissed Wike's Rainbow Coalition as a rude intruder. Aliyu stressed that the APC will only sell the whole tortoise: the governors, not Wike, will manage campaign efforts in their states.

Wike was not backing down. He went on the offensive, making harsh comments about PGF members. He called governors opposing his Rainbow Coalition "419-smart and politically lazy." If you heard it without context, you might think a motor-park tout was speaking. He specifically targeted Kwara State governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Uzodinma with a barrage of insults, showing his intolerance for differing views. Aliyu responded, telling Wike to show humility and respect.

Beyond the insults, this conflict reveals a deeper struggle for control within the party as the 2027 elections approach. At its core, the exchange resembles a fight between an unfaithful partner and their lover. Instead of just shame, the dynamics of traditional adultery fit this drama well. As the bard Odolaye Aremu said: "Ìjà níí gb’ẹyìn àlè", fights always mark the end of affairs.

Bringing a controversial figure like Wike into the APC in 2023 was bound to cause problems. This situation is like a man who takes a nagging wife into his home. The outcome is predictable.

First, affairs usually stay hidden until a big argument reveals the messy truths. Only when a fight breaks out does the dirt come out. Outside of Aso Rock and Wike, no one knows the deal made in 2023 between the Villa and the PDP figure now in charge of the FCT. Second, a pattern of secret affairs, like the APC has had over the past three years, can only lead to trouble. By aligning with Wike, the APC has brought in someone who could cause chaos.

Wike has gained from this arrangement. In a television interview, Aliyu acknowledged this: "If you want to say that Wike has helped us, we accept that. But he has also been well compensated. The position of FCT minister is a significant reward in our political setting." Aliyu concluded: "We don’t want Wike or anyone from another party to insult our leaders just because you have helped us."

Political affairs with a tainted history are troubling. In a sane political environment, someone who served in an opposing party and suddenly turns to become a key figure in the ruling party raises questions. When you take something discarded by another, you must wonder why the first owner let it go. Did APC think the PDP, which dropped Wike in late 2023, was foolish? It's like finding a buffalo stuck in mud and eagerly pulling out a knife to cut its meat without considering why it fell.

If APC believed it found a giant buffalo in Wike, they may not have realized that the dirt could have caused its fall. Could Wike's hubris have trapped him? Now that there is chaos, no one should feel sorry for the APC for thinking they have found a treasure. If Wike was not toxic to a stable PDP, why would the PDP have abandoned him?

Yoruba proverbs remind us that a half-crazy person has repeating issues. In 2023, APC was drawn to Wike's charm; now, they see they have taken on a burden full of problems. The way this alluring figure in their circle laughs when there is no joke signals the trouble ahead.

Today, APC governors are complaining about Wike's harsh words. One proverb shows their lack of understanding of power: if your mother's lover seems greater than your father, you must call him "father." The lover, who is now disrespecting the APC, sees himself as more powerful than their father in Aso Rock. They should either accept this or let Wike call their bluffs. Furthermore, don't they understand that someone who ruins their previous home won't hesitate to create chaos in a new one? If Wike could destroy his PDP for the sake of APC, would he hesitate to disrupt another party? It reminds me of a tortoise who lifts food for its child to eat. The tortoise asked, if he wasn't stingy, how could he be called ahun, the miser?

For APC, Odolaye Aremu's song captures their troubles: "The monstrous desire you craved is what you have now!" Traditional tales say that baby vipers eat their way out of their mother’s belly. A party that craves unchecked power will create its own internal opposition and face possible downfall. That is the kind of power APC sought.

In conclusion, whoever brings trouble to a gathering must take it back. Aliyu and some APC leaders have urged their party to quickly regain control. When he returns from his meetings abroad, he must take his problematic figure with him. For APC, the Yoruba saying about a household ruled by a bad-mannered woman is fitting. Wild trees will grow over it. How can a stranger be allowed to control the home? How can a guest be in charge of the household?