The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has cautioned that those pushing for former President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2027 presidential election are only plotting to drag Nigeria into unnecessary crisis.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday night, Wike described the calls as insincere and dangerous, stressing that the same people urging Jonathan to return in 2027 are those who abandoned him during his failed re-election bid in 2015.

“Anybody saying Jonathan should return because he will only do one term is only looking for a crisis. These are the same people who abandoned him in 2015. Why now? Jonathan has made a name for himself globally and they just want to drag him into unnecessary conflict,” Wike said.

The FCT minister warned against destabilizing the political balance with the idea of a “one-term presidency,” insisting that Jonathan’s legacy as an international statesman should not be jeopardized.

On the state of the nation, Wike admitted that Nigerians are currently experiencing hardship but maintained that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is taking the “tough but necessary” decisions needed to reposition the economy.

“Yes, there is hardship. I agree. But no one can deny that this government is making efforts to improve things. I see the projects in Abuja daily; they are evidence that something is happening,” he explained.

Wike also dismissed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s recent warning of a looming revolution due to poverty and hunger, describing his comments as hypocritical.

“Atiku was vice president for eight years. Why didn’t he lay the foundation to prevent hunger then? Now he keeps talking about hunger and revolution. For me, I don’t even bother reading what he says, because there is no truth in it,” he added.

The minister urged Nigerians to remain patient with the current administration and warned opposition leaders against exploiting economic difficulties for political advantage.