‘If dem born you well’ – Aisha Yesufu fires as Wike mocks failed FCT Senate bid

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and activist Aisha Yesufu have engaged in a war of words over her failed bid to secure the Nigeria Democratic Congress ticket for the FCT senatorial seat.

Yesufu had declared interest in the seat on May 6 after joining the NDC from the African Democratic Congress.

However, she announced on Friday that the party would not conduct primaries for the FCT Senate ticket, a development that effectively ended her bid.

Speaking on Saturday at a luncheon for candidates of the Rainbow Coalition in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Wike mocked Yesufu, saying she could not secure what he described as an “ordinary” NDC ticket.

The minister, without mentioning her name directly, referred to a woman who had previously criticised him as an appointee of government.

“There’s one woman who said Wike is an appointee of government and that she has no business with appointees. You speak grammar, speak grammar,” Wike said.

“Ordinary primary of NDC, not APC or PDP, just ordinary NDC, what happened? She didn’t make it.

“It’s easy for people to talk. When they enter into those media houses, they begin to churn out data from nowhere.

“Now, the time for data has come. What happened? ‘Fa fa fa foul.’ It didn’t work. If e didn’t dey? E didn’t dey.”

Yesufu responded in a post on her X handle on Sunday, challenging Wike to mention her name directly.

“If dem born Wike well, make e call my name with his full chest! What Tambuwal did him in 2022 will be child’s play,” she wrote.

The activist also took a swipe at Wike’s failed 2022 presidential primary bid, alleging that the former Rivers governor also failed to secure the presidential ticket and was not picked as running mate.

She further accused him of helping to weaken a party that was once described as the largest in Africa.

“Let me wait make the man get liver mention name! Then the man doing boi boi because he has to be in power to have authority will know those of us from Kukuruku empire of Edo State in South South no dey grovel,” Yesufu added.

Yesufu has insisted that she did not withdraw from the race, saying the party’s decision not to conduct a primary for the FCT Senate ticket prevented the process from taking place.