The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said there is nothing wrong with its member and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, remaining in the party while mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid on the platform of the Rainbow Coalition.
The party led by Abdulrahman Mohammed said Mr Wike has a constitutional right to support any candidate of his choice, regardless of the political party on whose platform the candidate is contesting.
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The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Jungudo Mohammed, said this in a statement on Tuesday while reacting to the controversy surrounding the Rainbow Coalition being promoted by Mr Wike to mobilise support for Mr Tinubu’s second-term bid.
“Wike has every constitutional and democratic right to decide whom he supports politically. His support for President Tinubu is legitimate, and as a serving appointee of the president, there is nothing contradictory about supporting the president while maintaining his political identity and relationships within the PDP,” Mr Mohammed said.
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Sandy Onor is the PDP’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
The formation of the coalition has generated disagreements between Mr Wike and governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) over allegations that the minister is using the platform to support politicians who lost the APC primaries and are now contesting elections on the PDP platform.
The APC Governors Forum, chaired by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, had opposed any political coalition or alliance that could threaten the chances of the party and its candidates in the 2027 elections.
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Mr Uzodimma, who is also the secretary of the Tinubu Campaign Council, said aligning with such a political arrangement could undermine Mr Tinubu’s re-election bid and weaken the APC ahead of the elections.
Mr Wike, however, said he had never promised that the PDP would not field candidates in the 2027 elections. He also urged the governors to pay greater attention to Mr Tinubu’s re-election campaign than they did during the 2023 election.
PDP accuses APC governors of fear
The PDP criticised the APC governors for opposing Mr Wike’s support for the Rainbow Coalition.
Mr Mohammed attributed the governors’ opposition to fear of defeat at the polls, alleging that some of them had underperformed in office.
“The APC Governors’ Forum should understand that Wike is not their problem; their problem is their poor governance and failure to meet the expectations of their people. Their opposition to Wike’s support is driven by fear. The fear that their poor records of performance will be exposed at the polls,” he said.
The PDP spokesperson said the governors’ demand that Mr Wike should not support or field candidates capable of challenging APC candidates was a political miscalculation, and that the minister’s support for Mr Tinubu did not mean he had abandoned the PDP.
“The APC governors had initially misconceived Wike’s support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as an endorsement of the APC. They are now beginning to realise that supporting the President does not mean abandoning the PDP or surrendering the political space to the APC,” he said.
“Their demand that Wike should not support or field candidates capable of challenging the APC governors and their anointed candidates is a fundamental political miscalculation. Elections are contests, and every political party has the democratic right to present candidates before the electorate.
“The APC Governors’ demand is not only politically curious but a complete political miscalculation. It exposes the growing anxiety within the APC over the prospect of facing strong PDP candidates at the 2027 elections,” he added.
Mr Mohammed also claimed that the PDP had become more united and had the capacity to compete effectively in the 2027 elections.
“The reality that appears to have unsettled them is that the PDP has not only stabilised but has also successfully fielded candidates across elective positions who are capable of challenging these APC governors and their anointed candidates in 2027,” he said.
“It is particularly revealing that governors who earlier claimed to be confident of their performance are now asking their opponents not to field candidates against them. If they have truly performed and retained the confidence of their people, they should welcome a contest and allow the electorate to decide.”
PDP defends Wike’s political influence
The PDP spokesperson also defended Mr Wike’s political influence, stating that his support could not simply be disregarded by politicians seeking electoral victories.
“The APC governors should be reminded that no one can jettison Wike’s support and expect to win elections effortlessly. Those who have attempted to do so in the past have learnt the lesson the hard way,” he said.
“The APC governors should also know that Wike is not their problem; their poor governance and fear of electoral defeat are the real problems. Their anxiety is understandable because Wike has demonstrated, both as Governor of Rivers State and as Minister of the FCT, a capacity for project delivery, political organisation and electoral mobilisation that cannot simply be wished away.”
READ ALSO: 2027: Rainbow Coalition mobilising for Tinubu’s re-election, not for APC – Wike
PDP challenges APC governors
The PDP challenged the APC governors to focus on governance and accountability rather than attempting to influence who Mr Wike supports politically.
“The APC Governors’ Forum should therefore concentrate on governance, accountability and performance rather than attempting to determine whom Mr Wike should support. They should account for the enormous resources accruing to their states through FAAC and ensure that local governments receive the funds due to them without undue interference,” Mr Mohammed said.
He described Mr Wike as an asset to Mr Tinubu’s political project and said the minister could contribute to the president’s re-election campaign.
“The Hon. Minister of the FCT is not a liability to President Tinubu’s political project. He is undoubtedly an asset, a mobiliser and a force capable of contributing significantly to electoral victory.
“The APC governors should therefore stop looking for scapegoats. Wike is not their problem. Their governance record, their performance and the confidence or lack of confidence of their people are what will determine their political fate in 2027,” the statement said.
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