The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has strongly refuted allegations that he engaged in anti-party activities during the 2023 general elections, despite his open support for President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking at his monthly press briefing in Abuja on Monday, Wike argued that if he had truly worked against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the party would not have secured the governorship position in Rivers State under Sim Fubara or won all National Assembly seats in the state.
"If I was playing anti-party, PDP wouldn't have won the governorship, NASS seats and Rivers was the only state that gave PDP that kind of victory," Wike stated.
Southern Presidency Agreement
The FCT Minister explained that his decision to support Tinubu stemmed from what he described as a breach of an agreement within the PDP to zone the presidential ticket to the South in the interest of equity, justice, and fairness.
"In 2023, did I not tell you that I wouldn't support their presidential candidate? I said, based on equity, justice, and fairness, the presidency should go to the South because you can't have that and the National Chairman at the same time," Wike explained.
According to him, he, alongside PDP chieftain Bode George and other stakeholders, had agreed on the southern presidency principle, but some party members disregarded this arrangement.
"You therefore take one and give us one. Believing that Atiku would win, they said to hell [with it], and I said I was not going to support," he added.
Strategic Political Decision
Wike defended his political calculations, revealing that while some PDP members like Bode George supported Peter Obi of the Labour Party, he chose to back Tinubu because he believed Obi couldn't win the election.
"I'm a politician, and I said even if you support this man (Obi), he can't win the election, so let's forget about sentiment. So George and everybody agreed to support a Southern candidate, we all agreed," Wike stated.
The minister emphasized his continued membership in the PDP, having previously declared that nobody could push him out of the party despite the ongoing internal conflicts.
Wike's comments come amid the continuing political tension in Rivers State, where his relationship with Governor Sim Fubara, whom he supported to become governor, has deteriorated significantly since the 2023 elections.
