In a recent interview on Arise TV from 17:30, Auwal Rafsanjani voiced his worries about Nyesom Wike’s increasing influence within the federal government and his connection with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Rafsanjani questioned why the president seems either unable or unwilling to control the minister, who has been positioning himself in ways that appear to challenge the authority of the presidency.
He stated, “I don’t understand what President Tinubu sees in Wike that prevents him from dismissing him. Wike is even competing with him.”
Rafsanjani also noted that Wike’s political presence in the capital has become remarkably prominent, especially considering he is not an elected official.
He stressed that it is unprecedented to witness a minister sharing the same political stage with the president in such a manner.
He said, “This the first time we are seeing a minister in Abuja competing with the president, everywhere it is poster, he is not elected person and everywhere it his poster that Mr project.”
The activist pointed out that Wike’s actions, especially the prominent use of posters labeling him as “Mr. Project,” reveal an atypical situation in Nigeria’s political landscape that disrupts the usual relationship between a president and his cabinet.
His statements emphasize the increasing discussion about whether Wike has gained excessive personal power and prominence, potentially eclipsing the president in certain public arenas.
