By Daniel Abia, Port Harcourt
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will not win the FCT in the next general election, citing President Bola Tinubu’s performance and his own open support for the administration.
Wike made the assertion on Monday during an end-of-year media chat in Port Harcourt, where he also criticised the defection of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing it as belated and lacking political structure.
According to the minister, Governor Fubara’s decision to leave the PDP came after key political actors in the state had already defected to the APC.
Before the governor’s defection, Wike said about 22 local government chairmen and nearly half of the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly had already dumped the PDP for the ruling party.
Mocking the governor, Wike questioned his ability to mobilise political support.
“As a governor, he has the State Assembly to move with, he has the council chairmen, the party chairmen and members of the National Assembly to move with. But in this case, who did he move with? These people decided to move on their own,” he said.
Wike also warned that chanting pro-Tinubu slogans does not guarantee re-election, stressing that political support must be backed by leadership and structure.
“Shouting ‘on your mandate we shall stand’ does not imply automatic ticket. It doesn’t mean that,” he stated.
The minister dismissed claims of any ceremonial reception when Fubara defected to the APC at Government House, Port Harcourt, insisting that due process must be followed when joining a political party.
“There is nothing like 001 in Rivers State. When you defect, you go to your ward and register for a new party,” Wike said, disputing claims that Fubara was issued APC membership number 0001 as the political leader of the state.
He further asserted that whenever he decides to leave the PDP, his loyalists across the country would follow him, describing that as a true test of leadership.
Responding to Governor Fubara’s earlier comment that those supporting President Tinubu should not do so “corner corner,” Wike said he has been the most criticised minister in the current administration because of his open and unwavering support for the President.
“Nigerians know that in 2023, I supported the President. I didn’t hide it. If I were doing ‘corner corner,’ Assembly members and National Assembly members would not have gone with me. That is leadership,” he said.
Reaffirming his position on the FCT, Wike added, “With what the President is doing in Abuja, there is no way PDP will win the FCT in the next election.”
On the alleged collapse of the peace agreement brokered by President Tinubu in Rivers State, Wike blamed Governor Fubara, accusing him of failing to keep to his part of the deal and being economical with the truth in his relationship with the leadership of the State Assembly.
“What stops you from calling the Speaker to ask how he is, or calling members of the Assembly to wish them a happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year? You don’t have to wait for me to tell you to do that,” Wike said.
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