Wike Says He Will Only Testify for Nnamdi Kanu If Summoned, Criticizes PDP Leadership, Defends FCT Security Achievements

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has clarified that he will not voluntarily appear as a witness in the trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), simply because his name was listed in newspapers. Speaking during a media briefing in Abuja on Friday, Wike emphasized that he would comply only if formally summoned or subpoenaed by the court.

“You don’t become a witness by reading the newspaper. Nobody has served me any process; nobody has subpoenaed me,” Wike said. “If I am served, if I am subpoenaed to come and give a witness or give evidence, I must obey the court; I must appear.”

Kanu, facing terrorism charges at the Federal High Court in Abuja, had listed Wike among other “compellable witnesses,” alongside former Defence Minister Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd), former Chief of Army Staff Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd), and governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Hope Uzodinma, Dave Umahi, and former Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu. Wike said he had no knowledge of why his name was included.

During the same briefing, Wike leveled sharp criticism at the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), accusing current governors of sidelining him from key decision-making processes and warning that the party risks collapse if internal exclusion persists.

“Have I not said it before now that the booby trap you are setting will consume you? The way these present governors are doing, they will bury this party,” he said. Wike questioned the justification for his exclusion, arguing that his long-standing role in the PDP warrants consultation in party decisions, regardless of whether he currently holds a governorship.

He dismissed claims that the party’s internal crises are caused by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), describing such narratives as “rubbish” and insisting that the PDP’s problems are self-inflicted. He also criticized delays in the party’s convention, noting that incomplete congresses and other processes were stalling progress. Wike recalled past efforts to protect the PDP, including resisting attempts by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari and former Borno State Governor Ali Modu Sheriff to destabilize the party.

On speculation about former President Goodluck Jonathan’s possible return to the 2027 presidential race, Wike said Jonathan had not informed him of any such plans, noting that media reports should not be taken as confirmation.

Turning to security in the FCT, Wike said crime has drastically reduced, asserting that occasional incidents do not reflect an overall spike. “All over the world, every day you wake up, crime is being committed here and there,” he said, adding that the FCT administration has worked to protect lives effectively.

Finally, Wike responded to criticism from former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi regarding the poor state of public schools in Abuja. He stressed that the government cannot resolve every issue immediately, noting that governance is a continuum spanning successive administrations.