FCT Minister Nyesom Wike expressed his frustration over journalist Seun Okinbaloye’s comments regarding Nigeria potentially becoming a one-party state, stating he wished he could “shoot him through the TV screen.” Wike made these comments during a media interaction in Abuja on Friday.
The situation arose from a segment of Channels Television’s Politics Today, which discussed the leadership crisis within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) decisions. During the show, Okinbaloye voiced his worries that if the ADC, a significant opposition party, fails to participate in the 2027 elections due to internal issues, it could threaten Nigeria’s democratic landscape. He remarked:
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“I’m particularly very pained because what makes the race interesting is when it’s competitive, not when only one party stands in the middle of the ballot. If the ADC, one of the only hopes of the opposition, cannot contest in 2027, we are doomed democratically.”
In response, Wike criticized Okinbaloye for allegedly taking sides in the ADC matter instead of remaining objective. He remarked:
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“I was surprised yesterday, thoroughly surprised. When I was watching Politics Today, Seun, if there was any way to break the screen, I would have sh+t him. How can you, as an interviewer, say we cannot have only one party? You are now telling your own views. There is nothing wrong with asking questions, but you are now making a statement on national television, which means you have already taken a position.”
Wike clarified that his statement was merely an expression of annoyance and not meant as a genuine threat.
