The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Senate President David Mark of attempting to destabilise the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for personal gain.
Wike made the claims during his monthly media chat on Thursday, alleging that both men sought to manipulate the party’s national leadership to suit their interests but were unsuccessful.
“There is nothing Atiku and his allies didn’t do to take over the national chairmanship of the PDP. We stood firm and said it won’t happen,” Wike stated.
He further alleged that after failing to secure control of the party’s chairmanship and secretary positions, Atiku and his camp turned their attention to forming a coalition.
Wike questioned Atiku’s leadership credentials, pointing out that key figures from his geopolitical zone, including the governors of Adamawa and Bauchi States, did not support his political ambitions.
“He’s from Adamawa. Why didn’t his governor join him? Why didn’t Bala [Governor of Bauchi State] join him? We said we won’t allow you to continue playing your old games,” Wike remarked.
He also distanced himself from recent criticisms regarding the emergence of Samuel Anyanwu as the party’s National Secretary, stating that Anyanwu was duly elected during the party’s national convention and not appointed at his discretion.
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“The same people calling my name, Wike, Wike, am I the one who elected Anyanwu? He was elected during the national convention,” he said.
The FCT Minister criticised Atiku’s political trajectory, describing his multiple party defections as inconsistent and unbecoming of an elder statesman.
“Atiku was Vice President for eight years. He left in 2002 to join the Action Congress (AC), then moved to the All Progressives Congress (APC), and now the African Democratic Congress (ADC). What exactly is he going to tell the younger generation?”
Referring to Atiku and his allies as “buccaneers and vampires,” Wike alleged that they never truly had the party’s best interests at heart.
He concluded by asserting that the PDP had been sustained largely through the commitment of stakeholders in the South-South and South-East regions since 1999.
“Since 1999, the PDP has been kept alive by the South-South and South-East, because of the kind of politics played in these zones,” he said.
