The tension between prominent political figures, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, took a dramatic turn on Monday as Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications, Lere Olayinka, launched a blistering attack on Mohammed.
Wike dismissed Mohammed as an “ineffectual being” and declared his 2027 presidential ambition as “dead on arrival.” The scathing remarks came after Mohammed criticized Wike’s decision to accept a ministerial role in President Bola Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration.
Olayinka, speaking on behalf of Wike, labeled Mohammed a hypocrite with no moral ground to question Wike’s choices. He argued that Mohammed’s political history is riddled with contradictions, accusing him of opportunism.
“Bala Mohammed, who abandoned his ANPP Senatorial mandate to serve as a minister under the PDP government of President Goodluck Jonathan, now criticizes Wike for accepting a ministerial position. This hypocrisy shows the kind of leader he is,” Olayinka stated.
The former Rivers State governor did not hold back in his criticism, accusing Mohammed of lacking the capacity to lead and dismissing his ambition to run for president in 2027 as futile.
“We are done with Bala Mohammed and his attempts to remain relevant. His presidential ambition is dead before it even starts. Nigerians deserve leaders with integrity, not individuals trying to use others as stepping stones,” Olayinka added.
The war of words highlights deep divisions within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as its key figures continue to clash publicly. Wike’s comments suggest that tensions may further escalate as political ambitions collide ahead of the next election cycle.
Olayinka concluded by reminding Nigerians that political loyalty often shifts, adding, “If offered even a Special Assistant role by the APC in 2015, Bala Mohammed would have jumped at it without hesitation.”
As the feud intensifies, all eyes remain on the two political heavyweights, with many wondering whether the PDP can recover from its internal strife or if these battles signal further cracks within the party.