In a passionate address at a recent stakeholders’ meeting of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr. Nyesom Wike, emphasized the urgent need for party leaders and members to uphold both the Nigerian constitution and the PDP’s own constitution.
Speaking to what he described as “concise stakeholders,” Wike did not hold back in criticizing actions he said were driven by impunity and self-interest.
“First of all, on behalf of our brothers who are seated at the high table here, let me sincerely thank you for coming to this very important concise stakeholder meeting of the People’s Democratic Party in spite of the short notice,” Wike began.
He praised the resilience and commitment of those present, describing them as the true believers in the survival of the party.
Defending the controversial decisions of the G5 group of governors, Wike stated, “I want to say it, today this country is stabilized because of the activities of the G5 brothers. You may like us, you may hate us. The truth of the matter is, if G5 did not take the decision we took, this country would have been in crisis.”
Lamenting what he called the party’s disregard for its own principles, Wike declared, “If the party had listened to what we said, we would not have been where we are today.”
He called for internal reflection and reconciliation, urging, “Ours is to rebuild, reconcile, put everybody together, and not to say, go to hell.”
Touching on constitutional issues, Wike accused unnamed party members of placing selfish ambitions above unity.
“When the presidential primaries came, we said PDP obey the Constitution of the party, what did the party say? The party clearly in its constitution stated clearly that positions would be zoned,” he said.
He emphasized that zoning is a deliberate arrangement meant to reflect Nigeria’s diversity, given the country’s complex composition.
“But people, because of their selfish interest, kick against the constitution of our party, and all the relevant laws of our country,” he added.
Addressing the controversy over party offices, Wike clarified, “Now, the issue is, the National Secretary of the party. Now, no position is zoned to any region; positions are zoned between north and south.”
He reiterated the democratic process guiding party elections, pointing out that, “It’s the national convention that decides who will be a national officer of the party.”
The convergence of PDP stakeholders in Abuja aims to ease rising tensions within the party, address ongoing debates over leadership, zoning, and constitutional fidelity, and help navigate the party’s way forward.
Reporting by Remi Johnson