Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is “long dead,” blaming its decline on impunity, arrogance, and the disregard for internal democracy among its governors.
Speaking during his monthly media chat in Abuja on Friday, the former Rivers State governor said the ongoing mass defection of PDP members did not surprise him.
“Everything I warned about has come to pass,” Wike said. “I told them from day one that if the party continued this way, it would lose. And that is exactly what has happened.”
Wike, once a major power broker in the PDP before joining the Tinubu administration, expressed disappointment that governors who previously led the party’s key committees were now abandoning it.
“Did I not say many governors would leave? The governor of Enugu chaired the convention committee; Diri of Bayelsa led the zoning committee. I knew they were playing games. Nothing I predicted has failed,” he said.
Responding to claims that he caused the party’s collapse after the 2022 presidential primaries, Wike laughed it off.
“Collapse which house? The house that’s been dead for long?” he asked. “When you ignore due process and claim you are governors who can do anything, this is the result.”
According to him, the PDP lacks the moral standing to challenge the ruling APC in 2027.
“Instead of uniting to take power, they’re busy fighting themselves,” he said.
Wike also dismissed social media reports that President Bola Tinubu ordered him to suspend his monthly media interactions.
“That’s laughable. I’m focused on my work in the FCT. The President has never stopped me from informing the public about our activities,” he clarified.
He denied rumours about his health, saying “I was never sick or flown abroad. That story is false.”
Addressing reports that former minister Tanimu Turaki had been adopted as the PDP’s consensus national chairman, Wike distanced himself from the party’s internal disputes.
“Anything that happens anywhere, they say it’s Wike. The problem is some governors believe they can act alone and still expect unity. It won’t work,” he said.
He added that the PDP should stop blaming the APC or the Tinubu government for its troubles.
“When Buhari was in power, we resisted all attempts to scatter the PDP. Now, nobody is after them, yet they’re destroying themselves,” he remarked.
Reacting to reports that former President Goodluck Jonathan plans to contest the 2027 election, Wike said:
“Jonathan has never told me he’s contesting. I don’t know where these stories come from.”
He also denied involvement in the appointment of the new INEC Chairman, saying:
“I had no hand in the matter and no preferred nominee.”
On reports that IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu listed him among his witnesses, Wike responded “I only read it in the papers. If I receive a court summons, I’ll honour it. That’s all.”
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