The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has doubled down on his political realignment, declaring that he will lead President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign in Rivers State—despite remaining a high-profile member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, made the declaration during a media chat in Abuja on Monday, where he said his loyalty in 2027 would lie with President Tinubu, not the PDP’s presidential candidate.
“I have told you this before. Is it because I am in Asiwaju’s presidency? Are you not aware I will lead his campaign in Rivers State? You want me to say no?” Wike said.
Wike, who served as governor of Rivers State until 2023, supported Tinubu, then the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), during the last election. His open backing of the APC candidate, despite being a senior PDP figure, deepened the internal crisis within the opposition party.
Tensions between Wike and the PDP leadership escalated after his defeat in the party’s 2022 presidential primary. Following the primary, Wike was also passed over as Atiku’s running mate, with the ticket instead going to former Delta State governor Ifeanyi Okowa—against the advice of some party stakeholders.
In the aftermath, Wike and a group of dissenting governors known as the G5 demanded the resignation of then PDP National Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, as a condition for supporting the party’s presidential campaign. Atiku’s failure to persuade Ayu to step down led Wike to throw his weight behind Tinubu—a move that earned him the powerful FCT portfolio in Tinubu’s cabinet.
During Monday’s media chat, Wike predicted a dramatic turnaround for Tinubu in the Federal Capital Territory, where the president secured less than 10 per cent of the vote in 2023.
“Are you not aware that he did not get up to 10 per cent here in the FCT? But he will win here. Are you not aware?” Wike asked rhetorically. “Stop asking me questions you know. Of course, you know. Is that hidden?”
He further anchored his support for Tinubu in a broader regional agenda: “I have said the South must produce the president.”
Despite his political alignment, Wike insisted that he remains a PDP member. “I am still in the PDP. I worked hard for the party.
“I have not seen anybody who will have the guts to tell me, ‘Wike, you are not a member of the party.’ Who is that? What is his contribution to the party that is more than me?”
Recall that former governor of Jigawa, Sule Lamido, last week vowed never to attend any PDP meeting until the party expels the former Rivers governor. Lamido, a founding member of the PDP and one of its most senior northern figures, claimed Wike’s continued presence in the PDP threatens the party’s peace and stability.
“Wike is a disaster. He is a product of the PDP, made relevant by the party, nurtured and celebrated by the party. But today, he turns around to destroy it,” Lamido said.
“I cannot sit in the same meeting with impostors. Until the party removes these people, I will not attend PDP meetings. I am still a loyal member, but I won’t dignify this rot,” he said.
His statement reflects his integrity – NEC member
While efforts to get the formal reaction of the party through its spokesman, Debo Ologunagba, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report, a member of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), Timothy Osadolor, said the FCT minister’s remarks merely reflect the kind of individual he is.
Speaking with Daily Trust, Osadolor argued that Wike’s open position reveals his character and sense of purpose. “Wike is above 18, meaning he’s an adult. He has the right to aspire to lead the country or pursue whatever political ambition he deems fit,” Osadolor said.
“It’s a matter of principle and integrity. If you claim to belong to a political party but consistently act in ways that favour its opponents, it says a lot about who you are,” he said.
He added that Wike is serving at the pleasure of the president, who has given him significant latitude to manage the affairs of the FCT. “He’s practically reigning supreme in the FCT like we haven’t seen in a very long time. That kind of freedom can get to anyone’s head, and he may feel emboldened to say whatever he likes.”
However, Osadolor was confident that the PDP remains unshaken in its resolve. “That won’t stop us from fielding a strong, credible candidate who can take on and defeat President Tinubu in 2027. These loud declarations won’t necessarily translate into votes. The Nigerian people will ultimately decide who becomes president.”
Also reacting, Alhaji Umar Sani, a PDP chieftain and former spokesperson to ex-Vice President Namadi Sambo, described Wike as an agent of destabilisation within the party.
“He came with a clear agenda—to destabilise it from within,” Umar said. “In that interview, he raised what he called fundamental grievances and justifications for his actions, but for me, those arguments are deeply flawed.”
On Wike’s claim that the PDP had no valid NEC meeting, Umar dismissed it as fiction. “That’s just in his imagination. He referenced a Supreme Court judgement as justification, but the court only dismissed the appeal on grounds of lack of locus. That’s not a victory. It simply means the court couldn’t hear the case and has effectively returned the matter to the party to handle internally.”
Umar also weighed in on the controversy surrounding dual office-holding, criticising unnamed party officials. “You can’t hold two positions simultaneously—if you’re national secretary and then contest for governor, you must vacate one. It’s common sense, even if not explicitly stated.”
He explained that the party had rightly moved to fill the vacancy by asking the South East to nominate a replacement. “Section 47(6) of our party constitution is clear: where a vacancy exists, here’s how to replace the person. We didn’t convene a convention when Ayu was replaced by Damagum. The same principle applies here.”
Umar insisted that Wike’s interpretations were self-serving and misleading. “I disagree with him. His narrative isn’t grounded in law or party logic—it’s pure politics, and it’s hurting the PDP.”
Minister positioning himself for 2031 at PDP’s expense – Amadi
Also speaking, the Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, Dr Sam Amadi, said it was unfortunate that leaders of the main opposition party could not summon the courage to sack the Federal Capital Territory minister from the PDP.
He attributed the situation to greed and corruption within the party’s leadership, alleging that Wike is strategically positioning himself for 2031, when he intends to use the PDP as a bargaining chip to secure the vice-presidential slot alongside a northern candidate.
“Wike has been clear about his intentions for the PDP. He wants the party to remain dead until 2031, when he can revive it to pursue his ambition of becoming vice president after Tinubu’s tenure,” Amadi said.
“He’s not even pretending. He acts like he owns the PDP. He dares anyone to challenge him—and no one, not even someone like Saraki, can. It’s a pity that, because of greed and corruption, PDP leaders have thrown the party into the absurdity of working to elect its own opponent in a presidential election.”
“A man who claims to love his party and its candidate is openly telling Nigerians that his mission is to ensure the PDP loses the presidential election—and yet he hasn’t been expelled. The PDP is dead,” he added.
[Daily Trust]
