Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has cautioned that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faces existential threat due to its governors’ exclusion of key stakeholders from decision-making processes. The former Rivers State governor warned that this approach could collapse Nigeria’s main opposition party if not urgently addressed.
Wike’s Warning on Party Survival
During his monthly media briefing in Abuja, Wike questioned the rationale behind his exclusion from PDP meetings despite his role as FCT Minister and long-standing party contributions. “Are you telling me that because I’m not currently a governor, you hold stakeholders meetings and exclude me? Then you expect the party to survive?” he challenged party leadership.
The minister criticized PDP governors for acting with impunity, noting: “I’ve consistently warned that the current approach by governors will bury this party. When we were governors, we maintained unity despite internal conflicts. Why are people now leaving?”
Comparison With Past Leadership
Wike contrasted current fragmentation with PDP’s cohesion during his governorship tenure. “We fought legal battles up to the Supreme Court over party leadership, yet no governor defected. Today, a few governors control decisions because of financial allocations, then expect others to follow blindly.”
He dismissed suggestions that external forces caused PDP’s crisis: “Is the APC making you take wrong decisions? The problem lies within our own poor leadership choices and exclusion of experienced voices.”
The minister concluded by asserting the accuracy of his past predictions about the party’s trajectory, implying the current governance approach jeopardizes PDP’s future as Nigeria’s primary opposition force.
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