The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has laid out new conditions for reconciliation within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), stressing that the party must reverse certain recent actions he views as unfair—particularly the removal of Chief Dan Orbih as the National Vice Chairman (South-South).
During his monthly television appearance, Wike stated that the PDP should halt preparations for its upcoming national convention, scheduled for November, until these concerns are fully addressed.
“It’s on hold for now, but there are still unresolved issues,” Wike said, emphasising that the South-South zonal congress held in Calabar must be recognised and that Dan Orbih remains the validly elected vice chairman. “If they refuse to accept that, it’s their mistake. If they want a fresh crisis, that’s their choice.”
He cautioned that disregarding the Calabar congress would be an act of impunity and reiterated that the convention should not proceed until the dispute is resolved. Wike maintained that the congress was properly conducted and its outcome must stand.
“Our South-South zonal congress that was held must be upheld. There’s no doubt, no two words about it,” the minister said.
“When we were doing our South-South congress, the Acting National Chairman claimed that the PDP governors were not in support of the National Congress. Where are the PDP governors now?” he asked rhetorically.
On his support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, Wike did not shy away from reaffirming his admiration for the President.
“Why wouldn’t I support a southern candidate—or even President Tinubu, if he’s running again?” he queried. Citing Tinubu’s decision to remove the fuel subsidy on his first day in office, Wike described him as a leader with courage and conviction. “That is bold leadership,” he said.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has reaffirmed his commitment to the PDP but said he won’t support any presidential candidate who lacks competence, regardless of party or friendship. “At my level now, I cannot support someone I know is not competent; whether he’s my friend or not,” he said.
He criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar while reacting to coalitions forming against President Tinubu’s re-election. “People move from one party to another for selfish reasons,” Wike said. “Someone who’s been seeking the presidency for years keeps moving from PDP to APC and back again. Then suddenly says he wants to ‘rescue Nigeria.’ Rescue what? From what?”
Defending his stance in the 2023 elections, Wike rejected claims of being double-faced. “I take serious exception to people calling me double-faced. I made it clear I wouldn’t support Atiku. I didn’t attend the primaries and then turn around to support him. I stood for equity, fairness, and justice,” he stated.
Wike said his support for Tinubu was based on capacity. “I believed President Tinubu had a better chance and better capacity. And I was right,” he said.
He accused some PDP leaders of worsening the party’s crisis by ignoring internal rules and court rulings, citing the case of Senator Samuel Anyanwu. “The so-called buccaneers and vampires have left because the party refused to do the right thing,” he said, vowing to “fight from within.”
On his political alliances, he confirmed meetings with some governors but denied meddling in Labour Party affairs. “I’ve met governors from Edo, Ebonyi, and Kogi. These are my colleagues. That’s what politicians do. And no, I’m not stoking any crisis in the Labour Party. If they have problems, that’s their own doing.”
Defending emergency rule and local government elections in Rivers, Wike said, “If you don’t conduct elections, local governments can’t access federal allocations. That’s why elections must be held—even under emergency rule.”
He also responded to reports of a PDP-APC power-sharing deal in Rivers: “If leaders from both parties sit down to say, ‘let’s not fight,’ what’s wrong with that? Shouldn’t we be happy that politicians are working together for peace?”