The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has responded sharply to comments by his estranged political ally, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, regarding a “barking dog.”
At a New Year banquet on Thursday, Fubara had reportedly said, “If you have a dog in your house and it knows you, does it need to bark?” The remark was widely interpreted as a jab at Wike amid the rising political tension between them.
Addressing residents of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni (ONELGA) on Friday, Wike turned the statement back on Fubara, asserting that it was the “barking dog” that helped Fubara rise to the governorship.
“This dog that’s barking now barked even when Rivers people didn’t know who the person was. That same dog made him governor while others ran away. And now he is not afraid that the same dog is barking. I wish him good luck,” Wike said.
The Minister also addressed political alignments ahead of upcoming elections, stressing the need for decisive action:
“We have decided to support Asiwaju Tinubu. There’s no discussion about that, but there’s one decision we must take. We won’t repeat the mistakes of the past. We will correct them.”
On claims that some politicians who supported former Vice President Atiku Abubakar are returning, Wike added, “They couldn’t deliver even 10%. What is the political advantage? I won’t mention names, but you all know them.”
