Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT, on Monday boasted that nobody has the powers or authority to suspend him from the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
The immediate past Governor of Rivers State, who stated this while speaking with Journalists, in Abuja on Monday, said he cannot be chased away from the party he laboured to build
Wike, reacting to criticisms over his loyalty to the party, following his romance with the ruling All Progressive Congress APC, said he remained one of the most consistent and hardworking members of the PDP.
“I am still in the PDP,” Wike asserted. “I have not seen anybody who would have the guts to tell me, ‘You are not a member of the PDP.’ Who is that? What is his contribution to the party more than me?”.
Wike recently faced harsh public criticisms over his decision to revoke the land tittles of about 5000 properties in Abuja, including the Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party, Wadata Plaza, Abuja, over allegations of grand rent payments defaults.
Wike, during the Media parley, alleged that one of the land is tied to Bode George.
The FCT Mnister also defended his approach to governance and land reform in the FCT, saying he is not afraid to challenge the status quo.
According to him, “Bode George is number 3092. That land was published—non-payment for up to ten years,” Wike said. “At that level, single citizen. At that level.”
He accused party elders like George of contributing little to the party’s electoral fortunes, particularly in Lagos State. “Look at Lagos since 1999—not one House of Assembly, not one House of Reps, not one Senate seat. And you say PDP made you? No, you make the party popular by what you do.”
Read also: Wike’s ‘Presidential’ visit to the Senate for FCT budget defense
Wike who insisted that his loyalty lies with President Bola Tinubu, under whose administration he now serves, added that his involvement in the Tinubu’s administration is it partisan
“The only person I put at the top is Mr. President. I’m doing what I’m doing to support the government and make a difference,”
“ I take joy when I step on the toes of big men… Those who say nothing will happen, I say something will happen. And it will.” Wike said
He condemned what he described as a culture of entitlement and impunity among the political class.
“Simply because we worship in the same church or mosque, you expect to get away with anything? No. That’s the attitude that has killed this country.”
“I’ve worked hard for this party,” he concluded. “And nobody—nobody—can tell me I don’t belong here.”
Recall that Bode George had criticized Wike, over the decision to close down the party secretariat over non- payment of N7m ground rent.
“We were told we had not paid ₦7 million and so, we defaulted on the ground rent. The painful part of it is that the minister is also a member of our party. They waited until the day we were to hold our NEC meeting to shut down the place.
“Talking as an African, culturally, let us look at it as his father’s house where he grew up, where he went to school and became a public personality. What do you do to pay back that family?”
“What is ₦7 million? He should have just said to them, ‘Okay, ₦7 million, I’ll pay from my pocket. Take the receipt back to the party’s secretariat. You see, you people are foolish.
“‘I’m completely committed to this house; I am completely loyal to this house. I will not decimate it. This is the receipt, give me back my money.’ That is what you call a true son of that family.
“I call him (Wike) my political son. He was, on his first political outing, elected on the platform of this party as a local government chairman. Later, he became Chief of Staff to an elected governor of this party, then (former) President (Goodluck Jonathan) appointed him as a minister of state for education in our party, then became a governor for eight years on the platform of this party,” he stated.
Recall that George was a staunch ally of the minister during the agitation by Southern Leaders to have power shift to the South before the 2023 presidential election.
The elder-statesman had backed Wike against Atiku who later secured the PDP presidential election for that historic election.
