The Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Lere Olayinka, has dismissed claims that Nyesom Wike has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Olayinka made the clarification on Wednesday while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
He said the FCT Minister “remains in PDP” and has not joined the ruling APC, contrary to speculations circulating ahead of the PDP National Convention scheduled for November 15 in Ibadan, Oyo State.
According to him, Wike’s current position in the party is about defending fairness and ensuring the PDP constitution is respected by all members.
He explained that most of the issues raised by Wike about the party’s leadership have since been acknowledged by the PDP, despite earlier disagreements.
“The Minister has continually maintained that he remains in PDP… everything the minister had complained about, every of his position about PDP, which of them has the party not come back to accept?” Olayinka said.
He cited examples, including Wike’s insistence that Umar Damagum should remain as the party’s acting National Chairman and his stance on the controversy surrounding the party’s National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu.
Olayinka argued that the court judgment on the matter had backed Wike’s position and that the party later accepted what the Minister had been saying all along.
He also referred to the Abuja Federal High Court’s recent ruling stopping the PDP from proceeding with its National Convention, saying the party had already zoned positions in a way that violated its constitution.
“Look at the case of yesterday, in which another order was given to restrain the party from going ahead with the national convention… PDP only does North and South zoning,” he added.
Dismissing allegations that Wike is responsible for the crisis rocking the PDP, Olayinka questioned why the party refused to issue a nomination form to Sule Lamido, a former Jigawa State governor and founding member of the PDP, even after payment.
“A former governor, one of the founding fathers of the PDP, Sule Lamido, paid to obtain nomination form… Did Wike cause that one?” he asked.
He further claimed that most PDP leaders planning to attend the convention are not even aware of where to obtain nomination forms, stressing that the National Organizing Secretary of the party has been sidelined.
Nevertheless, the FCT Minister has repeatedly said he would not leave the PDP, despite his role in President Bola Tinubu’s administration, insisting that his political influence in the party remains intact.