Reject Wike At Own Peril – PDP To APC Govs

By Ayodele Oni

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reminded the Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) that their opposition to the minister of the Frderal Capital Territory, (FCT), Nyesome Wike is driven by fear.

Reacting to the reported position of the APC Governors’ Forum rejecting the political support being offered Wike, to President Bola Tinubu, PDP noted that “Wike has every constitutional and democratic right to decide whom he supports politically.

A statement by the party’s spokesman, Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, stated that

“The APC Governors’ Forum should understand that Wike is not their problem; their problem is their poor governance and failure to meet the expectations of their people.

“Their opposition to Wike’s support is driven by fear. The fear that their poor records of performance will be exposed at the polls.

“His support for President Tinubu is legitimate, and as a serving appointee of the President, there is nothing contradictory about supporting the President, while maintaining his political identity and relationships within the PDP.

“The APC governors had initially misconceived Wike’s support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as an endorsement of the APC.

“They are now beginning to realise that supporting the President does not mean abandoning the PDP or surrendering the political space to the APC.

“Their demand that Wike should not support or field candidates capable of challenging the APC governors and their anointed candidates is a fundamental political miscalculation.

“Elections are contests, and every political party has the democratic right to present candidates before the electorate.

“The APC Governors’ demand is not only politically curious, but a complete political miscalculation. It exposes the growing anxiety within the APC over the prospect of facing strong PDP candidates at the 2027 elections.

“The reality that appears to have unsettled them is that the PDP has not only stabilised, but has also successfully fielded candidates across elective positions who are capable of challenging these APC governors and their anointed candidates in 2027.

“It is particularly revealing that governors who earlier claimed to be confident of their performance are now asking their opponents not to field candidates against them.

“If they have truly performed and retained the confidence of their people, they should welcome a contest and allow the electorate to decide.

“The APC governors should be reminded that no one can jettison Wike’s support and expect to win elections effortlessly. Those who have attempted to do so in the past have learnt the lesson the hard way.

“The APC governors should also know that Wike is not their problem; their poor governance and fear of electoral defeat are the real problems.

“Their anxiety is understandable because Wike has demonstrated, both as Governor of Rivers State and as Minister of the FCT, a capacity for project delivery, political organisation and electoral mobilisation that cannot simply be wished away.

“It is therefore politically irrational for anyone claiming to support the President to reject a political leader of Wike’s stature and the votes and mobilisation capacity he can bring to the President’s campaign.

“Their actions raise a fundamental question: Are they interested in President Tinubu’s victory, or are they primarily interested in securing their own personal political victories?

“A governor who truly wants the President to win should welcome every credible political force capable of contributing to that victory.

“The APC Governors’ Forum should therefore concentrate on governance, accountability and performance rather than attempting to determine whom Mr. Wike should support.

“They should account for the enormous resources accruing to their states through FAAC and ensure that local governments receive the funds due to them without undue interference.

“The Hon. Minister of the FCT is not a liability to President Tinubu’s political project. He is undoubtedly an asset, a mobiliser and a force capable of contributing significantly to electoral victory.

“At the appropriate time, Nigerians will decide with their votes. Those who have performed will present their records, while those who have failed will face the judgment of the electorate.

“No amount of political posturing, intimidation or rejection will change that reality.

“The message to the APC Governors’ Forum is simple: Chief Barrister Nyesom Wike is a force to reckon with, not a force to reject. Those who underestimate his capacity do so at their own political peril.

“The APC governors should therefore stop looking for scapegoats. Wike is not their problem. Their governance record, their performance and the confidence or lack of confidence of their people are what will determine their political fate in 2027.

“The PDP will not be intimidated into abandoning the electoral field. We will field credible candidates, mobilise Nigerians and offer the electorate a genuine alternative come 2027.”