Fresh Drama: NBA Chairman Questions Wike-AbdulRazaq Feud, Says Something Is Fishy’

The Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ilorin Branch, Jimoh Muhammed, has described the reported disagreement between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, as a situation that appears “fishy,” while stressing that his comments were made in his personal capacity as a lawyer.

Muhammed clarified that he was not speaking on behalf of the NBA Ilorin Branch, but was offering his personal legal perspective on the political dispute involving the two prominent members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to Bush Radio Academy, the lawyer’s comments followed Wike’s recent criticism of AbdulRazaq during a media interaction in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where the FCT minister accused the Kwara governor of being involved in political moves against him.

Wike alleged that AbdulRazaq had been championing a campaign against him and said he had confronted the governor over the matter.

“Take for example, Kwara, he has been the one championing this campaign against me everywhere. Yes, I have confronted him too. I don’t talk about what I cannot defend,” Wike said.

The FCT minister also alleged that AbdulRazaq accused him of sponsoring political candidates opposed to the governor’s preferred choices in Kwara.

Wike further argued that AbdulRazaq should appreciate his role in providing a political platform for some aggrieved APC members who defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), rather than aligning with groups perceived to be opposed to President Bola Tinubu.

Reacting to the dispute, Muhammed said the exact cause of the strained relationship between Wike and AbdulRazaq was known only to the two politicians.

“I’m not speaking in my capacity as the NBA chairman Ilorin branch, I’m speaking as a lawyer. The issue between FCT Minister and Kwara State governor is best known to both of them,” he said.

The lawyer noted that while political disagreements were possible, he found it noteworthy that both Wike and AbdulRazaq were associated with the same political party.

“There may be political issues, political differences between the two of them. Okay? So FCT minister who is having a daily bread from APC and at the same time attacking the state governor who is also APC, there must be something fishy between the two of them,” Muhammed stated.

He also questioned the apparent lack of a public response from the Federal Government condemning Wike’s remarks against the Kwara governor.

“And since that issue happened, up to today I’ve not heard or seen any press statement from the government at the national level condemning the act or attitude of FCT Minister,” he said.

Muhammed, however, urged Nigerians and political observers to exercise caution when assessing the disagreement, stressing that both Wike and AbdulRazaq enjoy constitutional rights to express their opinions.

He maintained that if Wike believed the governor had engaged in conduct he considered inappropriate, the FCT minister had the freedom to speak out, just as AbdulRazaq was entitled to defend his position.

“So one has to be careful in handling the issue. In his own right, if FCT Minister sees something that is not okay, he has freedom of speech and the governor himself knows what he is doing. That is the way I see it,” Muhammed added.