Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has denied allegations from Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde that he pledged to secure the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for President Bola Tinubu in the upcoming 2027 elections.
Wike described Makinde’s assertions as unfounded and misleading, insisting no such commitment was ever made during any discussions with the president.
The rebuttal came during Wike’s end-of-year media chat held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Monday, where he addressed Makinde’s remarks as a response to perceived frustrations within the PDP’s ranks.
Questioning the basis of Makinde’s claim, Wike said no such meeting ever took place and challenged Makinde to explain why he failed to brief PDP leadership on the alleged discussion.
“First of all, let us ask, what was the purpose of that meeting? Why did Makinde not come out to tell the party that this is what Wike said? There was no such meeting,” he said.
Wike clarified that the only meeting involving Makinde and other PDP leaders after the 2023 general election was a courtesy visit to President Tinubu, not a political negotiation.
“Myself, former governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom; former governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu; former governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; and Seyi Makinde went to see the President after the elections. And of course, the Chief of Staff was there. That’s a blatant lie. That is why you see Seyi Makinde has never called me Wike again. That is the last time he called me Wike. That is so unfair to say that I said that. If you look at that media chat, you will see that Makinde was frustrated,” he added.
The FCT minister also took a swipe at Makinde’s political approach, suggesting that the Oyo State governor lacked sufficient understanding of the complexities of party politics.
“We have advised him several times. Politics is not like being a contractor with Shell. It has different rules,” Wike said.
While acknowledging Makinde’s ambition, Wike stressed that political aspirations must align with established party norms and processes.
“There is nothing wrong with having ambition, but your ambition must be according to the rules,” he added.
Shifting focus to the PDP’s broader challenges, Wike warned that persistent defections stem from selfish leadership, emphasizing that proper guidance is essential for any organization’s endurance.
When asked if he still considered himself a committed PDP member and whether the party could bounce back from the mass defections, Wike expressed confidence in the party’s resilience and the importance of following due process.
“There is nothing that is impossible once you are committed to carrying out due process. What has happened to my party is what I have been saying before now, that if things are not done in the right way, this is where we are going to find ourselves. No Nigerian will say they did not know what I said. I have said it several times”
“Leadership is very key, leadership in association, leadership in government. If a leader does not take the right decision, this is how it is bound to be,” he said.
Drawing parallels with past challenges, the former Rivers State governor noted that the party had survived similar crises before because its leadership was willing to make necessary changes.
“We have had this kind of issue before. Nothing collapsed because the leadership was committed to see that certain changes were made,” he said.
However, he accused the current leadership of lacking focus and selflessness while cautioning that the opposition party risks fading into political obscurity if its leadership does not address ongoing internal flaws.
According to him, “But when you have a leadership that is not focused, a leadership that is selfish, a leadership that does not understand that equality is different from business, you are bound to see what you are seeing today. If they don’t correct themselves, by 2027 it is likely that the PDP might not make it.”
“It is not just about taking over government. You have to position yourself. If the leadership is committed and says, ‘Look, we have made a mistake, what do we do to correct ourselves?’ then there is hope.”
