Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, has firmly rejected attempts to paint him as a double-faced politician, slamming comparisons to Janus—the Roman god of duality—as both lazy and offensive.
In a spirited media chat that doubled as a political reckoning, Wike delivered a sharp rebuke to those who question his loyalty or ideological consistency.
“Let me be clear—I take serious offence at being compared to Janus,” Wike said. “I’ve never pretended about where I stand. People throw that label around like it’s clever—it’s not.”
Wike’s irritation stems from persistent criticism of his role in the 2023 elections, where, despite being a prominent figure in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he openly backed Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for president.
“Unlike those who joined the PDP primaries and later turned around to support someone they didn’t believe in, I made my stand known from day one. I didn’t support Atiku, and I didn’t pretend to.”
He argued that his support for Tinubu was a calculated political decision, not an act of betrayal.
“I believed Tinubu would win. I believed he could govern. And I’ve been vindicated. That was judgment—not disloyalty.”
Wike was equally blunt about his place within the PDP, declaring that accepting a ministerial role under an APC-led government does not make him a defector.
“I never left the PDP. I stayed because the party needs cleansing. If refusing to follow a bad decision makes me two-faced, then maybe people need to check their own mirrors.”
The former Rivers State governor accused his critics of selective amnesia, pointing out that he has remained one of the few consistent voices within the party, calling out internal injustice and power grabs long before the 2023 elections.
“The real double standards are coming from those who say one thing in public and another behind closed doors. I’ve stayed true to my path—even when it wasn’t popular.”
As debate swirls over Wike’s unique brand of political pragmatism, his message to detractors is clear: he will not be boxed in by metaphors or moral panic. If anything, he’s rewriting what it means to play opposition politics in Nigeria.