The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have strongly criticised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for openly declaring his plan to lead President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign.
During a media briefing in Abuja on Monday, Wike described himself as a significant asset in Tinubu’s 2027 election campaign.
The former Rivers State governor also stated that he was not involved in any anti-party activity, challenging the PDP to suspend him if they thought otherwise.
In reaction, the party’s Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, urged Nigerians to reject Wike’s remarks, claiming that the party would soon impose its regulations on the minister.
Speaking on Monday during a media parley in Abuja, Wike said, “I am still in the PDP. I worked hard for the party. I have not seen anybody who has 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 mine?”
Wike mentioned that the PDP violated the agreement for a southern candidacy for president and supported former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, hence his refusal to endorse the party’s 2023 presidential candidate.
“In 2023, did I not tell you that I wouldn’t support their presidential candidate? I said, based on equity, justice, and fairness, the presidency should go to the South because you can’t have that and the national chairman at the same time.
“You, therefore, take one and give us one. Believing that Atiku would win, they said to hell with that, and I said I was not going to support.
“So, why didn’t I leave the party and join APC? Of all of us then and PDP governors today, who produce the National Assembly 100 percent?? Who produced a governor? Ask them in their various states how many senators they have,” he said.
Wike referred to himself as a valued asset, underlining his crucial role in achieving Tinubu’s re-election in the 2027 general elections.
“I am not a liability; I am an asset. Whether you agree or you don’t agree, I am an asset. Whether you want to die or you don’t want to die, I am an asset. It doesn’t matter; you may not like me. I am an asset to making sure that Tinubu wins his second term,” Wike boasted.
The former Rivers governor also discussed the PDP’s chances in 2027, claiming that the party has a leadership crisis, which is responsible for enormous defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress, notably in Delta State and Akwa Ibom.
“It’s a party leadership problem. Look at it. You won’t tell me that they didn’t have intelligence that Delta would go. You won’t tell me that they didn’t have intelligence that Akwa Ibom would go.
“Now, as the leadership, what would you do? Send a team. Ask them, ‘Why are you doing this?’ No, you’re making a mistake. Impunity; let them go. Look, the opposition does not do impunity. No, no, no, we try to beg, beg. Put everybody together. You don’t say, Let them go. Let me tell you, I cannot do that,” the minister insisted.
In response, a senior PDP official described the party as one that upholds law and order, stating that it would soon take disciplinary action against Wike in accordance with its rules.
He stated, “This party is a party of process. We have the structures, processes, and laws that we’re following. At the right time, we shall enforce our laws on him and others.
“When somebody says nobody can remove him from the party, that is just his view. The PDP is bigger than any individual. And my answer is very simple: opinion is free, but facts are sacred. Policies are sacred. Rules and regulations are sacred. While he is entitled to his view, I can tell you that, at the right time, the party will enforce its rules.”
Osadolor, the PDP’s Deputy National Youth Leader, has urged Nigerians and party members to disobey Wike.
In an interview, Osadolor indicated that the FCT minister no longer has considerable power inside the PDP and predicted that President Tinubu would be defeated.
He stated, “The truth is that Wike has lost the class and influence he once had among the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party. That is not to say he is not an influential Nigerian, but the kind of command, control, and leverage he previously held within the party has been completely stripped from him.
“So, when you see him crying or wailing now and then, it’s more of a reactionary outburst than something to be taken seriously. You see, the PDP stands a very good chance of wresting power from the current government in this country.
“Even with Wike’s support, we saw what happened in Rivers in 2023. So, Nigerians should not be deceived by sensational speeches or media chats. No matter how much he cries or postures, Nigerians are already determined that this government will be a one-term government.
“And the beautiful part is that it’s not the PDP alone that will accomplish this. The PDP is merely a vehicle — Nigerians want to use it to send their message. And that message will be loud and clear.
“So, for me, I urge Nigerians and the PDP to ignore the drama from Wike and other wicked ones who may rise before the elections. We should keep our eyes on the ball and block out distractions like these so they don’t cloud our focus. Our direction is clear: to reclaim our mandate from those involved in this current power grab in Abuja.”
In response to Wike’s pledge of support for Tinubu, Chief Bode George, a member of the PDP Board of Trustees, stated that the main opposition party would nominate a candidate of southern ancestry who must be a party member.
He further stated that the party would not support Tinubu’s re-election because he is a member of another political party.
He said, “All these people junketing, do they think that the only man who can be president in 2027 is Bola Tinubu? The PDP will not rally around for Tinubu, he is not a member of our party.”
He also chided the recent defectors from the PDP to the ruling APC, questioning their motives for jumping ship.
“Those who are moving, are they going to meet an empty party? There are people who are already serving there.
It is heartbreaking that people who were elected on the programmes of the PDP are leaving to join another party.
I don’t know what their reasons are. What is so pleasing about the other party? Is the electorate happy? They are angry because they are hungry.”
That said, the retired Navy commodore promised to lead the PDP campaign in its search for a presidential candidate both in the 2027 and the 2031 polls.
“In 2027, it will still be the turn of a southerner, and we will find a southerner in PDP. In 2031, it will go back to the north. I will fight and lead the campaign for whoever will win the flag of the PDP in 2031,” he pledged.
George also blamed the failure of the main opposition party to stick with its zoning principle as the cause of its current struggles, stressing, however, that the PDP had resolved to put its house in order.
“The PDP is a very organised party. We made a mistake in the last presidential convention that was against the set norm, the procedure and the process in our constitution.
“I believe we have learnt a lesson, and we have resolved that never again shall we allow the mess created in 2023 to happen again. The procedure of our convention is the procedure of zoning.
“Section 7 (3c) states, ‘The party shall pursue these aims and objectives by adhering to the policy of rotation and zoning of party and public elective offices in pursuance of the principles of equity, justice and fairness.’
“This is still very fresh and current. That convention we had, something went wrong. What political sense does it make by the principles established by the founding fathers of PDP for us to have a candidate from the North 2023?,” he asked.
