Arise Television anchor, Rufai Oseni, has criticised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over his political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections, accusing him of betraying the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Oseni made the remarks during Arise Television’s Morning Show, where he questioned Wike’s alignment with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), despite previously describing the party as cancer.

“They made you a minister because you betrayed PDP. The same APC you called cancer and now you are in bed with cancer,” Oseni said.

The broadcaster also accused Wike of carrying out political manoeuvres behind the scenes before publicly discussing them, arguing that the minister appeared to boast about his influence over electoral outcomes.

“With Minister Nyesom Wike, he will be the one to do it in private, and he will still be the one to come and tell us in public. That's how he does it. Nobody will ask him, but he will think he's bragging to us,” he said.

Oseni was reacting to Wike’s declaration that President Bola Tinubu must win the FCT in the 2027 elections and his admission that he worked against Asue Ighodalo, the PDP candidate in the 2024 Edo State governorship election, because of his disagreement with former Governor Godwin Obaseki.

The television anchor faulted Wike for acknowledging Ighodalo’s quality as a candidate while allegedly working against his electoral success because of a personal political dispute.

He argued that such actions reflected the challenges confronting Nigeria’s electoral system, particularly when political rivalries take precedence over the interests of the electorate.

“You keep calling for a better Nigeria, but because you had a grouse with the person that brought the candidate, you were more concerned about destroying that candidate and not letting him thrive, so that a worse-off candidate would be there,” Oseni said.

“You saw a quality candidate that can benefit people in this country, but you subjugated that candidate because of the former governor,” he added.

Oseni’s comments have brought renewed attention to Wike’s political relationship with the PDP, his alignment with the APC-led Federal Government and the implications of political disputes for the credibility of elections ahead of the 2027 polls.