Former governor of Rivers state and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike has reiterated his affiliation with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during a media interaction in Abuja on Friday.
Despite recent political upheavals, Wike affirmed his loyalty to the opposition party while acknowledging his decision to take a temporary hiatus from active participation.
Addressing reporters, Wike stated, “I am a member of the PDP. ”Have you ever seen me change anything?
“The one I supported before, what happened? I have decided to take a break. As you see me now, everybody should carry their cross.
“I was in PDP, and I did not hide it: ’ told them I was not going to support their presidential candidate. Is it that I spoke or acted in a way people did not understand?”
Responding to a question on if he is not worried about being disciplined by the party, Wike dismissed concerns, asserting, “Discipline me for what? That I did what? I am an advocate of the party’s constitution. Assuming we lost the governorship, will they be talking about Rivers as a PDP state?
“Now is the time for governance. Now is the time” to do your assignment “nt. The president has given me an assignment and I am busy carrying out my assignment.
“When the time for politics comes, we will know who is where and who is not where,” he added.
Notably, The rift between Wike and the PDP leadership stemmed from disagreements over the party’s internal power-sharing arrangements leading up to the 2023 presidential election.
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Wike advocated for the preservation of the party’s zoning principle, insisting on the nomination of a candidate from southern Nigeria.
His divergence from the party line resulted in his withdrawal of support for Atiku Abubakar, the PDP’s presidential nominee from the northern region.
During the election campaign, Wike’s support shifted towards the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), culminating in the emergence of Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the APC’s presidential candidate. Subsequently, Tinubu appointed Wike as a minister, sparking debates on whether he was still a member of the PDP.
