The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Saturday criticised individuals he accused of benefiting from the sacrifices of others during the 2023 general elections to support and ensure the emergence of President Bola Tinubu.

“So, all these people now you are seeing singing ‘on your mandate we stand’, that time when they were needed most, they couldn’t do that.”

“They couldn’t come out to say ‘vote for Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Wike told stakeholders after the annual Thanksgiving ceremony of the Chairman of the South-South Development Forum, Chibudom Nwuche, held in his hometown of Ochigba community, Ahoada East Local Government Area.

Wike, a key political figure in the South-South region and a former stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), played a controversial but decisive role in the 2023 elections by supporting Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress (APC), despite remaining in the opposition party.

His position caused a major political stir nationally but proved influential in Rivers State, where Tinubu recorded an unexpected victory.

According to him, when the political environment was tense, some failed to support the President openly. He, however, maintained that he and his supporters stood firmly by Tinubu throughout the difficult electioneering period.

“And to the glory of God, we stood, and ‘on your mandate we stand’ today is very strong. So you are the ones who made the mandate strong as far as Rivers State is concerned.”

Wike challenged those who have recently begun praising the President and claiming loyalty to his mandate, asking where they were in 2023 when their support was most needed.

“In 2023, it was difficult for so many people to come out and say, vote for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. But we did it.

”When it was tough for people to say ‘on your mandate we stand,’ we stood firm and said ‘on your mandate we stand,’ Wike said.