The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed claims that he assured President Bola Tinubu he would “hold down” the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Wike’s rebuttal follows allegations by Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, who last week accused the FCT minister of promising Tinubu to undermine the opposition party.
Speaking during an end-of-the-year media chat on Monday, Wike described the allegation as false and unfair, insisting that no such promise was made to the president. He also suggested that Makinde’s claims were driven by frustration and unexpressed presidential ambition.
“I never told President Tinubu that I would hold PDP down for him. There was no such meeting where that was discussed,” Wike said.
The former Rivers State governor questioned why Makinde failed to raise the allegation earlier if it were true, noting that the claim only surfaced recently despite the alleged meeting taking place in 2023.
Clarifying the circumstances, Wike said he, alongside former governors Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and Makinde, met Tinubu after the 2023 elections to discuss general political issues.
“We went to see the president after the elections were over. There was nothing secret about the meeting, and at no point did I say I would weaken the PDP for anyone,” he said.
Wike added that the President’s Chief of Staff was present during the discussion, stressing that the meeting was transparent and routine.
Describing Makinde’s accusation as “totally unfair,” Wike said the Oyo State governor appeared frustrated, adding that ambition was not wrong but must be pursued according to established political norms.
The controversy stems from Makinde’s recent media chat in which he alleged that Wike, during a private 2023 meeting, volunteered to undermine the PDP to support Tinubu’s re-election bid. Makinde also expressed regret over backing Tinubu in the 2023 polls and vowed not to support him in 2027.
Wike, however, maintained that the allegation was untrue and urged party members to focus on internal cohesion rather than spreading what he described as false narratives.
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