The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, is gripped by fear over the possibility of losing the favour of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
This was contained in a statement issued on Monday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, in reaction to remarks made by Wike during his end-of-year media chat.
According to the PDP, Wike showed “obvious signs of fear” throughout the interview, particularly regarding what the party described as his weakening political influence in Rivers State and dwindling relevance within the party at the national level.
The statement added that Wike is worried that his political control in Rivers State is slipping, especially following the defection of Governor Siminalayi Fubara from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC) earlier in the month — a move Wike reportedly tried unsuccessfully to stop.
The party further stated that Wike’s continuous public declaration of loyalty to President Tinubu while still claiming PDP membership amounted to open anti-party activity, insisting that his conduct justified the disciplinary actions taken against him.
Ememobong accused the FCT minister of repeatedly engineering internal crises within the PDP for personal advantage, alleging that since 2015 Wike has been a “constant destabilizing factor” in the party’s leadership.
He referenced Wike’s alleged role in various leadership tussles, including controversies surrounding former national chairmen Ali Modu Sheriff, Uche Secondus, and Iyorchia Ayu.
According to the PDP, Wike’s “politics thrives on perpetual conflict” and relies heavily on attention and disruption, adding that such actions have continued to create tension and division within the party.
The party maintained that investigations and internal processes regarding disciplinary measures would continue in line with its constitution.