The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Monday evening hosted members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja under the banner of “Concerned Stakeholders of the PDP”.
The closed-door session, which had several influential members from the party’s ranks, was at fostering unity and addressing lingering internal crises that have continued to threaten the party’s relevance.
Although it was unclear whether Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, was invited to the parley, three of his colleagues in the G-5 — former Governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Samuel Ortom (Benue), and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) — were in attendance.
Also present were the PDP National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, former Senate Minority Leader, Philip Aduda, serving and former lawmakers at both state and federal levels, some state and zonal party executives, and other key members.
In his remarks, Wike lauded the attendees as true loyalists of the party committed to its survival.
“All of you here are those who are committed to the survival of our party, not just on TV talking or in newspapers talking, but committed to the party at various levels,” he said.
Revisiting the controversial decisions of the G-5 Governors during the 2023 general elections, Wike maintained that their intervention played a crucial role in averting a national crisis.
“Today, this country is stabilized because of the activities of the G-5 Governors. You may like us, you may hate us. The truth of the matter is if G-5 did not take the decision we took, this country would have been in crisis,” he said.
He warned against continued impunity in the opposition party and stressed the importance of adherence to the party and national constitutions, while calling for an end to actions driven by greed and ego.
“If the party had listened to what we said, we wouldn’t have been where we are today. Let us not allow greed, let us not allow ego to kill our party,” he cautioned.
While addressing the ongoing dispute over the position of the National Secretary, Wike alleged double standards in how party rules are applied, and cited the cases of Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas and the PDP Deputy National Publicity Secretary Ibrahim Abdullahi, both of whom retained their party roles during and after seeking elective office.
In showing support, former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, backed Wike’s contributions to the PDP, stating, “He who pays the piper dictates the tune. Let anyone in Nigeria tell us who has contributed more to the growth of the PDP than Nyesom Wike.”
Ortom added that President Bola Tinubu’s decision to appoint Wike as FCT Minister demonstrated an acknowledgment of his political strength and the need to avoid a one-party state.
“For whatever reason, PDP made a lot of mistakes and we are where we are today,” Ortom admitted.
