Chieftain of the main opposition political party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Nyeson Wike, has threatened to withdraw his support for the party’s candidates in the forthcoming Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council election if the leadership do not put their house in order.
“If the PDP does not keep their house in order, I will not support them for the Area Council election.”
Wike, who is the minister of the FCT under the umbrella of the presidency, led by Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), concluded in a media chat that his party, the PDP, “is fundamentally unprepared for the 2027 general elections.”
Citing internal strife, impunity, and a lack of genuine commitment to opposition politics as key factors contributing to the party’s current state, Wike said that the Governors Forum, while influential, is merely a pressure group and not an organ of the party.
He stressed that the Forum had no authority to make proclamations on zoning or alter the functions of the National Working Committee (NWC).
He lamented the lack of effective opposition from PDP governors, questioning their commitment to holding the ruling party accountable.
The Minister stressed the necessity of genuine sacrifice and strong leadership for any party aspiring to lead the opposition, a quality he believes is currently absent within the PDP.
“For you to say I want to lead the opposition party is not by mouth. You have to sacrifice a lot of things.”
On the political situation in Rivers State, the Minister defended President Tinubu’s emergency declaration, saying that it saved Rivers State from descending into anarchy and facilitated the restoration of funding for Local Governments.
He lauded the President’s intervention as being in the best interest of the state.
The Minister used the occasion to call on the leaders and elders of Rivers State to move beyond public pronouncements and take genuine steps towards resolving the political crisis in the state, emphasizing the importance of allowing democratic structures, particularly the State House of Assembly, to function constitutionally.
