FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike and PDP logo
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticized the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, following his end-of-year media chat, describing his political conduct as provocative, destabilising and fundamentally anti-party.
During the interaction, Wike openly reaffirmed his support for the presumptive presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general election, boldly describing himself as the “Number one supporter” of the APC flagbearer, despite retaining membership of the PDP.
The PDP in a statement by the its National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Comrade Ini Ememobong, saud this public posture further validates the grounds for his expulsion over sustained anti-party activities.
According to the PDP, Wike’s repeated declarations of allegiance to a rival party while remaining within its ranks represent a textbook case of anti-democratic behaviour and political adventurism, which he has neither denied nor attempted to conceal.
The party argued that Wike’s current stance is consistent with a long-standing pattern. Since assuming office as Rivers State governor in 2015, he has repeatedly emerged as a disruptive force within the PDP’s leadership structure. From his early involvement in the Ali Modu Sheriff-led crisis—where he initially supported Sheriff’s emergence as national chairman before later mobilising against him—to his subsequent backing of Uche Secondus and later leading the push for Secondus’ removal, the PDP said Wike has consistently fuelled internal instability.
The same trajectory, the party noted, played out during the emergence of Dr. Iyorchia Ayu as national chairman. Despite opposition from senior stakeholders, Wike spearheaded Ayu’s emergence, only to later champion the “Ayu must go” campaign, further deepening divisions within the party.
Beyond national leadership disputes, the PDP pointed to Wike’s actions in Rivers State as further evidence of a troubling political style. These include alleged imposition of candidates, exclusionary internal practices, and the unprecedented denial of access to campaign in a PDP-controlled state by a duly nominated presidential candidate of the party—actions the PDP described as a clear departure from democratic norms.
The party said Wike’s politics is driven by perpetual conflict, thriving on attention and calculated disruption, and turning destructive whenever relevance appears threatened. It added that throughout the media chat, the minister appeared anxious about waning influence in Rivers State, the risk of losing presidential attention, and the firm stance of the PDP’s national leadership.
According to the statement, the cumulative effect of Wike’s conduct has been the deliberate stoking of tension and division, often used as leverage to advance narrow personal interests. Recent public alignments, the PDP said, now leave little doubt that Wike and his associates have chosen to openly undermine the party in favour of an opposing platform.
“Now that the mask of his pretence is off,” the party stated, Wike and his allies, including Sam Anyanwu and others, have openly declared their intention to back President Bola Tinubu and the APC in the 2027 presidential election. The PDP described this move as part of a selfish bargain aimed at weakening the opposition from within.
The party further reminded Wike, as a legal practitioner, that agreements entered into for illegal purposes are unenforceable and should not be encouraged.
Reaffirming confidence in its future, the PDP assured Nigerians that it would present a credible presidential candidate in 2027, capable of galvanising nationwide support and winning the election. It stressed that the PDP is an institution, not the personal property of any individual.
The party added that the Kabiru Turaki-led National Working Committee is intensifying efforts to rebuild internal cohesion, resolve pending legal matters, and position the PDP for electoral success in 2027.
