The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has taken a swipe at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), accusing its leadership of repeated blunders that, in his words, “purged the party” and weakened its chances ahead of the 2027 general election.
Speaking during a live media chat in Abuja, Wike defended his role in the PDP crisis while dismissing speculation about his political future.
According to him, the Supreme Court ruling on Rivers State, which held that there was “no government” in the state, was a unique case that should not be compared to past emergency rule scenarios. “The court was clear: dictatorship cannot be allowed. That’s the context,” he said.
Wike: PDP Paid the Price for Arrogance
Wike rejected claims that he is “PDP by day and APC by night,” insisting that his political stance has been consistent.
“From day one I told PDP: you cannot take both the presidential ticket and the national chairmanship. They stole both, and I warned it would purge them. In 2023, it did,” he declared.
The former Rivers governor argued that the PDP’s recent zoning of the presidency to the South and the chairmanship to the North vindicated the G5 governors who opposed Atiku Abubakar’s candidacy in 2023.
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Obi, Jonathan, and 2027 Politics
On talk of ex-president Goodluck Jonathan and former Labour Party candidate Peter Obi returning to the PDP, Wike drew a sharp contrast.
He praised Jonathan as a respected elder statesman who chose to step back from active politics with dignity. But he dismissed Obi as lacking principle.
“Obi once called PDP rotten. Now the party is suddenly good? Ambition can take people even to Satan’s house. That’s not ideology, that’s desperation,” Wike said.
He added: “Give Obi back his 6 million votes from 2023—what’s the guarantee he’ll get them again in 2027? Which platform will he use—Labour, PDP, or ADC? Politics is not about social media noise.”
Wike also attacked Atiku Abubakar, describing him as a politician without consistency.
“Since 1998, I have been in PDP. But Atiku has jumped from PDP to AC, to APC, back to PDP, and even ADC. That is not ideology, that is not principle,” Wike stressed.
He dismissed Atiku’s talk of “coalition” as nothing more than opportunistic party-hopping. “Coalition is when parties merge to defeat the ruling party, not when individuals move every election season,” he said.
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No Presidential Ambition for 2027
Wike also shut down speculation that he might run for president following PDP’s zoning decision.
“I will not run. I have integrity. I cannot say one thing today and another tomorrow. My children will not ask me, ‘Daddy, where is your integrity?’” he affirmed.
Wike warned that unresolved congress disputes could derail the PDP’s next convention.
“It is not about venue. The real issue is whether the party has done the right groundwork. If these problems are not resolved, the convention may not hold successfully,” he cautioned.
Switching to his role as FCT minister, Wike acknowledged ongoing sanitation and waste management challenges in Abuja, blaming incompetent contractors.
“Sanitation should not be political patronage. We are re-advertising contracts to firms with the right capacity,” he said.
On the controversial issue of open grazing in Abuja, Wike described it as a national security matter.
“Everyone knows it is unacceptable. But action must be carefully managed. Once you enforce it, some people will ethnicize the matter. Abuja is Nigeria’s capital and must reflect order,” he added
