Nyesome Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, said he felt like shooting a journalist and breaking his television set over a comment suggesting the All Progressives Congress (APC) was imposing a one-party state on Nigeria. He made the remarks during a media chat in Abuja on Friday, reacting to a broadcast segment he viewed as biased. Wike did not identify the journalist or the media house but said the commentary misrepresented the political climate. "I felt like shooting the guy, I felt like breaking my television," Wike said, adding that such reports were designed to stir unrest. He maintained that Nigeria remains a functioning democracy with active opposition participation.
A cabinet minister expressing violent impulses over critical media coverage signals shrinking tolerance for dissent. Wike's remarks, while framed as frustration, normalise hostility toward press freedom. For Nigerian journalists, this reinforces an environment where reporting on power carries increasing personal risk. The comment does little to encourage open political debate.
