Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike implored leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to accept the outcome of the recently concluded South-South Zonal Congress in Calabar, Cross River State.
Declaring the congress as valid and decisive during his monthly media parley in Abuja on Monday, Wike cautioned against any action to strip it of its credibility.
“Our South-South Zonal Congress held must be sustained. There is no doubt, no two words about it,” the minister stated, confirming the rise of Chief Daniel Orbi to become the zone’s National Vice Chairman.
Wike declared the congress to have had the support of the courts and dismissed claims by some leaders that it was illegitimate. “The Court allowed the Congress to meet. If they can hold another Congress, so be it. But ours met and gave us a leader,” he declared.
He also condemned the acting National Chairman of the PDP for rejecting the congress at first, raising questions about his knowledge of internal party politics. “When we were conducting our South-South Congress, the Acting National Chairman alleged that PDP governors were not favorable to us. Where are they now?” Wike asked.
Going to the politics of the country, Wike struck at ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, condemning his switch to African Democratic Congress (ADC). He outlined Atiku’s party changes more often since 1999, referring to them as political desperation.
Atiku had been in PDP in 1999, then AC, then PDP, then APC, and now PDP. If I were his son, I would tell him, ‘Dad, why are you constantly jumping from one party to another at almost 80 years old?’ Wike said.
Wike attributed Atiku’s latest leap to his fading hopes of emerging with the PDP presidential ticket for the 2027 elections.
“How things are arranged under the PDP now, it would be unlikely that the ticket would be offered to Atiku. That is why he is pushing for a coalition against Tinubu. It is not about Nigeria, it is personal ambition,” he announced.
Wike also dismissed the proposed opposition coalition as weak and futile, advancing that in the Nigerian political environment, the coalitions have always failed.
