The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barrister Nyesom Wike is jittery over his declining political influence in Rivers State, where he was governor for two terms (2015 to 2023).
In a statement on Monday, PDP’s factional spokesperson, Mr. Ini Ememobong said that comments made by the FCT minister during his end-of-year media chat showed he is anxious about losing President Bola Tinubu’s favour.
‘All through the interview, minister Wike showed obvious signs of fear of losing the attention of the President, his slipping grip of Rivers State, and his frustration with the unbending nature of the true leadership of the PDP at the national level’, the statement read.
Wike’s successor in the state, Sir Siminalayi Fubara defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC) early this month — a move Wike reportedly attempted to prevent.
The FCT minister reportedly kicked against Fubara’s defection, as the PDP structure in the state he once controlled has now aligned with the sitting governor to the APC.
The National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, who recently led a Federal Government delegation to the state, told Fubara that President Tinubu is ‘very happy’ with him.
Wike, who appeared displeased with the comments, said on Saturday that politicians travelling to the Rivers State to proclaim the President’s support for Fubara were seeking a share of the state’s public funds.
Ememobong said that Wike’s repeated public declarations that he is a strong supporter of President Tinubu, while still claiming membership of the PDP, amounted to open anti-party activity.
He said the minister’s actions cconfirmed he basis of the disciplinary action taken against him, describing his conduct as incompatible with democratic norms and party loyalty.
The PDP spokesperson accused Wike of consistently instigating internal crises within the PDP to advance personal political interests.
‘Since he assumed office as governor of Rivers state in 2015, Wike has been a recurrent troublemaker in the leadership of the PDP’, he said.
Ememobong claimed that Wike had a role in successive leadership battles in the PDP, including his involvement in the removal of former governor Ali Modu Sheriff as National Chairman, his later opposition to Prince Uche Secondus after backing his emergence as National Chairman of the party, and his push for former Senate President Iyorchia Ayu’s appointment as National Chairman before subsequently leading calls for his removal.
The PDP spokesperson further said: ‘Wike’s politics thrives on perpetual conflict, feeding on attention and seeking relevance through calculated disruption, and when starved of attention, seeks to destroy everything.
‘The cumulative effect of these actions is a deliberate creation of tension and division, often deployed as leverage to advance narrow political objectives’.
Ememobong said that the Kabiru Turaki-led National Working Committee is working to rebuild the party, resolve pending court cases and position it for electoral success.
