Why I Will Ignore Wike’s ‘Rascality’ – Sheriff

Former Governor of Borno State, Ali Modu Sheriff, says he has chosen to overlook the controversial behaviour of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, because of the minister’s impressive performance in Abuja.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Monday, Sheriff described Wike as a “rascal” but admitted that the former Rivers State governor has delivered more than any other FCT minister in the history of Nigeria.

“I’m not a fan of Wike. Wike’s character is that of a rascal, but you cannot take away from him that he has changed Abuja,” he said. “From the time Abuja was created up to this moment, nobody has worked like him. So people like me will ignore his rascality because he is working.”

Sheriff praised Wike’s developmental efforts in the nation’s capital, adding that performance should be the key metric for judging public officials—not personality traits.

He also criticized other members of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s cabinet, accusing some ministers of underperformance and dishonesty.

“There are ministers that are not working but lying to Nigerians. It is not the president’s problem,” he added.

Sheriff, who previously served as acting chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2016, also commented on the political future of former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi. He hinted that Obi may be on his way back to the PDP, though he did not provide further details.